


Missing

by Apollo_and_Athena



Series: Roses and Thorns [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Established Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Rescue Missions, abducted Oliver Queen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-23 19:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 30,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6127471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apollo_and_Athena/pseuds/Apollo_and_Athena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just days after an attack left Sara in a coma, Thea in the hospital, and his mother dead; Oliver Queen is abducted from the Queen Mansion and the others are left to scramble to get him back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Numb

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! You seemed to enjoy "On the Other Side" so hopefully you enjoy this. This is just a quick update. Characters will be popping up all over the place. Nana Smoak will make her return, as if I could really stop her. Again, this is just a quick intro. There should be another update by Saturday. Enjoy!

**3 Days Missing**

It was an unusually beautiful mid-winter day in Star City. Moira Queen had been laid to rest earlier in the day with the cloud of her son’s abduction hanging over the funeral. The events of the past week were taking their toll on everyone, none more so than Thea. Laurel was also in a rough place as her sister’s life was still in the balance. It was just one funeral but it felt like three. Felicity hardly knew any of the people who were present, so she sat with Thea. John and Lyla talked with Detective Lance, mostly about what the police were able to find out. Laurel had left to go see Sara. 

“What am I supposed to do?” Thea had barely spoken for the last 3 days. Surprisingly, she hadn’t shed a tear since Felicity, who was crying herself, shared the bad news with her. But now, it was as if the dam finally broke from the weight of these horrible events. “Mom is gone, Ollie is missing, and Sara is barely with us. These…people, whoever they are, have taken everything away from me. I feel so alone.” 

Felicity had spent every moment she could spare with Thea just so she didn’t feel alone. And, truth be told, it helped Felicity not feel so alone. She understood where Thea was coming from, having a similar feeling after her father had left. Answers to that question didn’t come easy then and they weren’t coming easy now. “I’m not sure if I’m even the right person to ask considering that I’m struggling to deal with all of this myself.” She grabs a hold of Thea’s hand, “When my father left us, I too felt alone; even though my mom was there. In that respect, I know how you are feeling. The best thing we can do, and I know this is cliché, is to go on living. It’s going to suck and it’s going to hurt but it’s the best thing we can do. Your mom gave her life so you can live so I know that’s what she wants you to do. Sara is strong and I absolutely believe she’s going to pull through. And Oliver, Ollie, is still out there and will come back to us. I can feel it.” The words were coming out of her mouth but she didn’t know how much she actually believed them. “And you aren’t alone. You have plenty of people who care about you and will help you get through this. I promise you that.” 

Time dragged on and all Thea wanted was for everyone to leave so she could be alone. Well not everyone; she appreciated the company of John, Lyla, Felicity, and Laurel. All of the others she could do without. Felicity, for her part, tried to make small talk with others but often found her mind wandering. Finally, she’d had enough; she needed air. John makes a move to go and check on her but Lyla stops him. “Let me. Girl talk.” She heads in the direction that Felicity went, grabbing a spare jacket on the way. The afternoon had given way to evening and with that came a significant temperature drop. Lyla finds Felicity on the back patio rubbing her arms to stay warm. 

She gently drapes the jacket over her shoulders. “Hey. I thought you could use this.” 

Sniffling, Felicity dabs at her eyes with the tissue she’s holding. “Thanks. I should’ve realized that the temperature dropped. I wasn’t ready to go back in there yet. Are people still milling around in there?” 

“Half have left. The rest should be gone shortly, I imagine. I think Thea went up to her room to be alone. I’m going to check up on her after I leave here. So…how are you?” 

“I hate funerals. And I feel bad because I really didn’t know her. Plus, I feel out of place. I don’t know any of these people. I didn’t run in these circles. I’m just a genius daughter of a cocktail waitress from Vegas…”

Lyla places a hand on her shoulder to stop her ramble. “No, Felicity…how are you?” 

“What do you want me to say? That I feel like I’m adrift in the Pacific with no hope of rescue without him? That I no longer have an appetite; and when I do eat something, it tastes like Styrofoam? That colors seem muted? That the air I breathe smells and tastes foul? That I’m so consumed with a man that I’ve known for a relatively short time, that my world has been knocked off of its axis by his disappearance?” No amount of dabbing could stop the tears that were now flowing from her. 

“Yes. That’s exactly what you should say…and maybe more. Felicity, you’re in love with him. I knew that the day you quit working for me. I’m pretty sure that it’s just as obvious to all of those people that you don’t know in there as well. It’s ok to break down, to let it all out, when something bad happens to those we care about. Nobody will judge you for it. You take all of the time you need. But we will find him and bring him home. Ok?” 

“Ok”, Felicity offers as she once again dries her face. 

“Good. Now let’s get back inside, it’s cold out here!” The two ladies walk back inside to rejoin the others. 

Later that night after everyone had cleared out, Felicity is lying in his bed lost in thought. _It’s been so long since I’ve felt like this. I still believe he’s out there. But what if…NO! I can’t give up. Not on him. He’s still out there. Alive. I can’t give in to despair. If the shoe was on the other foot, I know he wouldn’t rest until he found me and I will do the same. We’re coming for you Oliver; and your tormentors, whoever they are, will forever fear the name Felicity Meghan Smoak. They will feel my pain._


	2. Omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity formulates a plan of action and begins to lay it out to the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap: Moira Queen is laid to rest. Felicity and Thea struggled to cope with Oliver's abduction.

Sleep didn't come easy, and it hasn't for a few days now. Quieting her mind long enough for her to actually rest has been the main issue for Felicity. Even though she finally accepted the challenge of bringing Oliver home with her whole heart, her mind kept racing. And now here she is facing another morning with minimal sleep. _This is going to be another long day._ She rolls away from facing the window and faces his side of the bed. There she is greeted by something completely unexpected. Oliver is sitting against the headboard, smiling down at her. Quickly, she sits up in the bed and studies him intently. 

"Hi", he says with a bright smile. 

"Oh please tell me we're not dead", she deadpans. 

"No, you're not dead. Neither am I as far as I can tell." 

"Obviously, this is a dream." Oliver nods in affirmation. "I haven't given up. I will find you and I will bring you back." 

"I never expected anything different." 

"I just need to figure out where to begin." 

Oliver considers her statement for a moment. "We both can agree that you are much smarter than I, but you may be overthinking this. Where do all stories begin?" He leans forward and whispers, "The beginning. You know where this all began and you know things that others don't. Start there." 

And for the first time in 4 days, she could breathe. _Why didn't I think of this before? Thank goodness my subconscious is a genius too._

"Thank you!" 

"Did I say that out loud?" 

"No, but being your subconscious I can hear your thoughts." 

"Of course you can. Well, what am I thinking right now", she asks with a sly grin. Without saying another word, Oliver begins to undress. “You read my mind!” 

***KNOCK KNOCK***

Felicity is jolted out of her dream. "Ugh...yes?" 

"Breakfast is ready. Are you joining us", Thea inquires. 

"Yes, I'll be right down after I take a shower", she says as she sits up in the bed. "A cold one", she mumbles to herself. She briefly glances at Oliver's side before getting out of bed and heading into the bathroom. 

**4 Days Missing**

Felicity enters the kitchen to find John, Lyla, and Thea eating the pancake breakfast cooked by Raisa. She goes and pours herself a cup of coffee and joins them at the table. "Good morning, guys." 

"Good morning", they all responded. 

"How'd you sleep? Sounded like you were mumbling something when I knocked on your door earlier", Thea said looking concerned. 

"I slept...ok, I guess. I couldn't really relax." 

"Yea, I know what you mean", Thea says as she takes another bit of her pancakes. 

"Guys, I wanted to talk to you about something. It came to me overnight but we need to go back to the beginning; where it all of this trouble started for him." Looking at Diggle, "Did he tell you what happened to him in Boston?" 

"He mentioned that he was ambushed and being helped out by a friend. You think we start with the ambush?" 

"No, the friend. His name is Rex and he was Oliver's roommate at Harvard. He hadn't seen him since and I told him that it was quite the coincidence that he ran into him in that situation. Plus the fact that he is also a hitter and, as we later found out, he was wired a substantial amount of money to his off-shore bank account from QC not too long before the Gambit went down. He also warned us about the hit put out on us while also offering us his help. He knows more than he's let on. I advised him to stay away and he did." John and Lyla share a look. 

"Do you have a way to contact him", Lyla asks. 

"Oliver's phone." 

"Good, because I want to meet with him", John responds. 

"Actually, I think I should be the one to meet with him." Both John and Lyla's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Hear me out. John, if you show up he may perceive you as a threat and be on the defensive. He wouldn't see me as a threat and therefore we may get more out of him." 

"But Felicity, it could be dangerous." 

"I know, Digg. That's why I'm not opposed to you being there but I should be the one to meet with him." 

John sits back in the chair, taking a deep breath as he contemplates what Felicity has laid out. He looks to Lyla for help. "She's right, Johnnie. He has some frame of reference for her through Oliver. You'd be a wild card. She's our best chance." John takes another deep breath before looking back over at Felicity. 

"Fine. But I will be close by and if he so much looks at you wrong, it will be over for him." He gets up from the table, clearing his plate as Felicity mouths 'Thank You' to Lyla. She feels a hand on her arm and turns to see Thea looking at her with concern. 

"This sounds really dangerous. Promise me that you'll be careful." 

"I promise." 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She stares at the number on Oliver's phone. _I need to do this. This is the best way._ She presses 'call' and on the third ring, he answers. 

"I was beginning to think that you weren't going to call." Felicity doesn't respond. "I am correct in assuming that this is Felicity Smoak, yes?" 

"Yes. We need to meet." Felicity was trying to stay cold and detached. 

"Straight and to the point. I like that. Where and when?" 

"How long would it take you to get to Star City?" 

"Not long...since I'm already here." 

"Big Belly Burger on Smith and Jock in 3 hours." She disconnects the call. _Should've known that he'd already be here._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Belly Burger was really busy during lunch. The perfect place to hold a meeting such as this...plenty of witnesses. Diggle was sitting in a booth on the other side of the restaurant, wearing his earpiece so he could hear the conversation. Felicity was sitting in a booth on the side with the entrance, facing it so she could see who went in and out. Lyla was back at the mansion with Thea, listening in on comms. Felicity glances down to check the time on her tablet and when she looks up, Rex is sitting across from her with an unreadable expression on his face. Immediately her heart rate goes through the roof but she tries desperately to keep a calm demeanor. 

They sit in silence, staring at each other, for a few minutes before Rex leans forward and breaks the ice. "Normally, there's a very large fee for me to meet with someone. But since this is for an old friend who's in trouble, I'm pro bono. I know you have questions because you don't trust me...and you shouldn't. You have no idea who I am or what I'm capable of. In light of this, I brought you a gift that I hope will help with the trust issue." He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a folded slip of paper, and slides it across the table. Felicity eyes it suspiciously. "On this piece of paper are the names of the guys who attacked his family. Do with it what you will. Just know that if you decide to hand it over to the police, they'll likely get off because of lack of evidence." 

Felicity looks at the slip of paper again before calmly picking it up and placing it in her pocket. "The money that you received from Queen Consolidated just before the Gambit went down. Explain." 

Rex chuckles to himself. "I figured that'd be one of your questions, just not the first one. I know you looked into my account...you're not the only one who knows their way around the net. Anyway, one of the ways I make a living is by providing security measures to big corporations. QC came to me and asked if I could devise some scenarios in which some unknown assassin could take out the CEO and board. I gave them several scenarios but I didn't know that they'd use one themselves." 

"Who did you meet with?" 

"I don't know. It's one of my stipulations. I don't ever want to know names or what people look like, so we never met face to face. Now you're wondering how I was sure that it was actually QC I was meeting with. That's where the sitting fee comes in. It has to come directly from the company account, never a personal account. And it's large enough that if someone is accessing it fraudulently, it will be immediately noticed and reported. The second transfer was the rest of my fee, once they made the necessary changes based on my scenarios. I had nothing to do with the sinking of the Gambit, other than it was my plan that they used. I was in Bali the entire time after submitting my plans to them. I’m sure a woman of your talents would be able to verify that.”

“Oh, and another thing; your friend John Diggle is welcome to join us. No need for him to sit all the way over there." Rex turns and waves hello to Digg, who doesn't respond. "I assume you have redundancies so who else is listening in? Probably Lyla Michaels." Felicity was stunned causing Rex to chuckle once again. "I made John as soon as I entered. I'm aware of everyone Oliver has interacted with over the past couple of years. I had to know before I offered to help him. The unknown in all of this was you but my background check didn't raise any flags so here we are." 

Felicity was struggling to keep up the calm façade but she pressed on. "How is it that you became involved in all of this anyway? Seems like a huge coincidence that you'd run into Oliver after no contact for years." 

"It was a twist of fate, I assure you. I assume he told you about his dealings with the Bratva. Anyway, we have a mutual acquaintance and Oliver approached him for some information. I was the courier of the information. It was nothing more than that. When I found out who it was for, I started looking into him. Now let me ask you a question. How far are you willing to go to get him back? And think before you answer." 

But she didn't need to think. "As far as necessary." 

"You are definitely his Omega. That's good because getting him back won't be easy and, more than likely, will get extremely messy. I believe you are being truthful when you say that and therefore if you need me, just ask." Rex sits back and looks at his watch. "But right now, I have a flight to catch." 

"Before you leave, how'd you get these names?" 

"A magician never reveals his secrets. But like I just said, it gets messy." He gets up and heads for the exit, nodding in Digg's direction. As soon as he's out of sight, Digg joins Felicity at her booth. 

"So, do you trust him?" 

"Nope", she responds popping her 'p', "but we're going to need him." Her phone chimes with an incoming text. "Oh! We need to get back. Cisco's found something on the surveillance footage." 


	3. "Anytime..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco makes a discovery with the assistance of Barry and alerts the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so don't get used to updates like this. My mind is working on overdrive at the moment. Thanks for the kudos and comments.
> 
> Recap: Felicity starts to lay out her plan to the team and it began with a meeting with Rex, where Rex was a little more than they bargained for.

**4 Days Missing – Star Labs – 30 minutes ago**

“Cisco! Are you in there?!” Barry rounds the corner to find Cisco still sitting at his desk, staring at his screen. “I thought we were going to lunch?” 

“Dude, there’s something on here. I need to find it. Right now this is our best chance at finding Oliver.” 

“And I’m not saying you’re wrong, but you need a break. You’ve been staring at that for 3 days. Nothing helps with concentration like food!” 

“I know but they need me. _He_ needs me; I can’t let them down.” 

“Ok, fine. I get it. But you’re still coming to trivia night at Jitters, right? Its Predator night and nobody knows those movies like you.” 

Cisco almost presses his face against the monitor. Suddenly, he leaps out of his chair. “Dude, you’re a genius! If you were a woman, I’d totally kiss you right now!” 

Barry holds his hands up in defense. “Whoa! Take it easy. You want to explain to me exactly what I did to get this reaction?” 

“It’s not what you did, but what you said. Look at this and tell me what you see.” Cisco cues up the video of Oliver walking down the hall. 

“It’s Oliver walking down the hall. He stumbles and the perp comes out of the room and catches him.” 

“Exactly!” 

“Huh?! It’s still not making sense.” 

“I always thought something was off about this. Ok, let me test my theory. Look at this and tell me what you see.” Cisco cues up the feed of the side of the mansion. 

“Just the grass on the side of the house,” he says with a confused look. 

Cisco smiles, “Dude, you’re a CSI. Just pretend you’re looking at a crime scene. I’ll run it back.” Cisco replays the footage. 

“I still don’t see any…wait, no still not seeing it.” 

“Geez, dude! Watch it again and think of the Predator’s abilities.” He replays the footage again. 

Barry’s eyes widen with realization. “Wait, are those…footsteps?” Cisco nods enthusiastically. “How? Was this footage doctored?” 

“You mean like in Rising Sun?” Barry looks at him even more confused. “Wesley Snipes. Sean Connery. The lovely Tia Carrere. Murder mystery in Japan. Any of that ringing any bells?” Barry shakes his head no. “Doesn’t matter. No, it’s not doctored. That was the first thing I checked when Felicity sent it to me. I believe that the person who did this is able to cloak himself…like the Predator. Come to think of it, I remember reading something about the military looking into doing this for their soldiers. It was being spearheaded by Kord Industries.” 

“There was a robbery at their local R&D branch here a few months back. We should definitely look there. I’ll call Joe and see if he can get us in over there to talk to some people.” 

Cisco high-five’s Barry. “Nice! I’ll update Felicity on what we’ve found.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

**Queen Mansion – a few hours later**

Felicity, John, Lyla, and Thea have gathered around the computer in the office to hear what Cisco has found. Everyone is filled with a nervous energy as they hope that this will help them bring Oliver home soon. 

“Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, the meeting at Kord took a little longer than expected. This is sort of good news/bad news…but it’s something. I’ll start with the bad news first. I still don’t know who abducted Oliver. At this point, it really could be anyone. The good news is I do know how it was done.” There was a lengthy exhale from Digg and it was like everyone understood what he was thinking. The ‘how’ doesn’t seem too relevant at this point, it’s the ‘who’. But something is better than nothing. 

Cisco continued, “At first I thought he managed to take advantage of blind spots but the cameras are set up in such a way that there are very few of those and they only last for a few seconds. How the perp did it was with Active Camouflage. What it is is a suit that has thousands of tiny cameras and screens woven in to it on all sides. The screens on the front project what the cameras on the back see, and vice-versa. If you’ve seen the Predator movies, it’s like that. I spent the last hour speaking with an engineer over at Kord Industries about it because they were building one for the military and had their prototype stolen a few months back. They thought it was industrial espionage but couldn’t prove it. Anyway, they’ve built another one and he demonstrated it for us. Guys, when I say that he disappeared, he literally disappeared. In fact, the perp could be in the right next to you right now and you’d have no idea…it’s that good.” 

Everyone takes a look around the room when hearing that. Lyla leans forward to ask a question. “Cisco, if it’s so good then why did he uncloak in the hall and how did he get Oliver out without Oliver being seen ‘floating’?” 

“I don’t think he uncloaked on purpose. That probably had something to do with the limitations of the prototype. While cloaked, the wearer cannot move to fast otherwise the images blur on the suit and it shuts down. He had to move quickly to catch Oliver before he fell because there would’ve been a loud thud, drawing attention to that hallway. As for how he got Oliver out, they must’ve been able to re-create the prototype using a blanket or something to cover him with. That’s just a guess though. I’m working on something that would help in exposing anybody wearing something like that and will let you know what I come up with. Just make sure you check the rooms you’re in thoroughly before you do anything else.” 

Everyone looks at each other with concern. “Thanks, Cisco”, Felicity says. 

“No problem. I’ll be in touch.” He signs off of the chat and the group takes a minute to collect their thoughts. 

“Well, that’s scary”, Thea chimes in. “He could’ve been lying in wait the whole time. And somehow knowing this makes it even more mysterious!” 

“I hate mysteries”, Felicity says. 

“Now we’re going to have to change our strategy. We can no longer discuss this in the house. Too much open space. We need a smaller environment we can control.” The frustration was visible on John’s face. 

“I think I’ll go over to the local ARGUS facility and see what we have on this tech. Knowing Amanda, we’ll have a lot because I’m sure she wanted it. You coming, Johnnie?” 

“Yea, you ladies stay here until we get back. I’ll let security know what we found out so they’re on high alert.” John and Lyla leave just as Raisa was coming in. 

“Ms. Thea, you have a guest downstairs.” 

“Thanks, Raisa”, she says as Raisa exits the room. 

Felicity looks at Thea with a little smile, “Do you have a secret boyfriend or something?” 

Thea chuckles, “Please! If I had a secret boyfriend who waited until now to visit me, he wouldn’t be my boyfriend anymore. I have no idea who this is.” 

“Do you need me to come with?” 

“No, I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine. But just in case, come check if you don’t hear from me in 10 minutes.” 

“Absolutely!” 

Thea heads out of the office and down the stairs, thoughts of an invisible intruder flooding her thoughts. She was so distracted, she didn’t even realize that she was standing in the foyer with her guest. 

“Thea!” 

Snapped out of her reverie, Thea is facing someone she hasn’t seen, practically nobody has seen, in a long time. “Malcolm?” 


	4. Out of the Shado comes hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malcolm Merlin pays Thea an unexpected visit. Thea and Felicity do some investigating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This update was a little tougher than I had anticipated. I just couldn't get my words right. Hopefully you enjoy it. Thanks for the kudos and comments.
> 
> Recap: Cisco alerts the team that Oliver's abductor had a suit that made him invisible. John and Lyla went to ARGUS headquarters to find out more about the suit and Malcolm Merlin shows up at the Queen Mansion.

**4 Days Missing**

“Malcolm? It’s been ages, where have you been? How have you been?” Thea was stunned to be standing in front of Malcolm Merlin. He’s rarely been in Star City the past few years, and when he was it was for the briefest of time. 

“I’ve been crossing the globe, trying to expand Merlin Global. But that’s not really important right now. I came as soon as I heard. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been able to keep up with current events. How are you?” 

“Well, it’s been rough to say the least. Physically I’m doing much better but losing Mom, Oliver, and maybe Sara is almost too much to bear. These last few weeks have been really crazy. I’m hopeful that my brother will be found but the police don’t have much to go on.” 

Malcolm places his hand gently on Thea’s shoulder. “I understand completely. When I lost Rebecca, the police didn’t have much to go on then either. It burned me up inside that I wasn’t there for her and that I couldn’t give her the justice she deserved. And then a few years later, losing Tommy in the accident really collapsed my world. I almost completely withdrew but your father was there to help me through the darkest of times. So when he and Oliver went missing and were presumed dead, it was too much for me. That’s why I pretty much left Star City. But that was wrong. I should’ve been there for you and your mother, knowing exactly how you felt having been in that situation. I apologize to you for that. I only wish that I could do the same to Moira. Anyway, I just want you to know that I’m here for you if you ever need anything. I’m going to be here for a few days then I have to head to Japan. I’ll leave my cell phone number and you can call it anytime.” Malcolm offers her a small smile which she returns. 

“Thank you”, she says. 

“Don’t mention it. I should get going but call me if you need anything.” Thea escorts Malcolm to the door and he gives her a kiss on her forehead before leaving. 

“Who was that?” 

“Oh my God! Geez Felicity, you scared the crap out of me!” Thea was holding her hand over her chest and breathing heavily. 

“Now I know how Oliver feels. Sorry!” 

“Did Ollie ever tell you about his best friend, Tommy?” Felicity nods. “Well that was his father, he just dropped by to offer his support. You got dressed? That was fast!” 

“Yea, I thought of someone I wanted to talk to. Do you want to come?” 

“Who is it?” 

“Yao Fei. Oliver told me about him when we were in Vegas. He was helpful in his recovery after returning from the island. I’m hoping maybe Oliver told him some other things that might shed light on what’s going on.” 

“Any place is better than being trapped in here. Let me go change and we can go. Do Lyla and Digg know?” 

“Yea, I told them that we were going there and probably to get something to eat afterwards.” 

“Alright, I’ll be back in a little bit.” Thea heads upstairs and Felicity goes into the living room to wait. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity and Thea approach the unassuming house located in the Star City suburbs with apprehension. “I don’t know, Felicity. Don’t you think we should’ve called first? We don’t know this guy, he could be dangerous.” 

“I’m sure we’ll be fine. Oliver was fond of him and besides, we have back-up waiting right here”, Felicity says while gesturing over her shoulder towards the guards waiting by the car. 

“Ok, but Ollie was also fond of some pretty rough guys too”, Thea responds unconvinced. Felicity just shakes her head in amusement and rings the doorbell. They were completely unprepared for who answered the door. A young woman, about the same size as they are, was now standing before them. “Um…Yao Fei”, Thea asks in the confusion. 

“No, that is my father. May I help you?” 

“We came to talk to your father, Yao Fei”, Felicity chimes in. 

“And this is in reference to?” 

“Oliver. Oliver Queen.” 

She peers around Thea and Felicity at the security guards by the car and then looks back at them fiercely. “What about him?” 

Thea looks back at the guards and realizes how this looks. “Oh no, no. We’re not after him or anything bad like that. I’m his sister, Thea. My friend here is his girlfriend”, Thea looks over at Felicity and says quietly, “you are his girlfriend, right?” Felicity just nods. “Anyway, this is Felicity and we came here to see if your father had any information that might help us find Oliver.” 

She studies them for a minute before her expression softens. “I’m Shado. Please, come inside.” They follow Shado into the living room area of the house and take seats on the couch. “May I offer you something to drink?” 

“No, thank you”, they both reply and Shado takes a seat on the adjacent loveseat. 

“My father is back in China looking after my Grandmother, who’s sick. He won’t be back until next week but he and Oliver became very close during his time here. But if anyone knew anything, it would be him. They seemed to talk endlessly about Oliver’s past when he was here. I was never in the room so I couldn’t tell you what exactly they talked about but it was very emotional for him.” Thea and Felicity exchange a glance. “He was broken when he first came here. Very untrusting of himself and others. I am truly sorry that you have to go through this. I’m glad that others haven’t given up the search for him.” 

“Never”, Felicity responds. 

“You know, I remember him disappearing a lot when he got back from the island. Obviously, this is where he was coming.” Thea glanced around the room. “I see you have candles and incents going. We didn’t interrupt anything, did we?” 

Shado offers them a soft smile. “Funny you should mention that. I was actually trying to connect with him through meditation but I wasn’t having any luck.” 

“Oliver does love his meditation”, Felicity interjects. 

“Yes, well this is a little different”, Shado says laughing. “My grandmother taught it to me when I would visit her and became homesick. It would help me connect with my father, if he wasn’t there with me, better than any phone call could. She would say ‘the stronger the bond, the greater the connection’. I was hoping that our connection was strong enough but it doesn’t seem like it.” 

“Can we try”, Thea and Felicity blurt out at the same time. 

“I was hoping you’d ask. Let me set everything back up and we can try.” Shado picks up a bowl and retreats into the kitchen. 

“Do you think this will work”, Thea asks. 

“I’m not sure but what do we have to lose?” Shado returns from the kitchen and instructs them their places on the floor. She places the bowl of water in the middle and then puts a lit candle in it. 

“Now, I will begin the incantations. You need to close your eyes and focus on him. The connection can be very intense. You won’t be able to communicate with him but you’ll definitely know if you’re connected.” The 3 women join hands and close their eyes. Shado begins her chant while Thea and Felicity focus on Oliver. For a while, there’s just the sound of Shado’s voice and then her voice begins to fade. 

Suddenly, the room began to get warm; very warm. And then they began to smell the very familiar scent of Oliver Queen. It was as if he was there with them. For Thea, the warmth reminded her of the big hugs he would give her whenever he saw her. For Felicity, it was lying in the bed together up in the mountains; him wrapped around her like a big down comforter. The memories brought smiles and tears; not tears of sadness but of joy. Joy in the knowledge that he was still alive and that they still had time to save him. But almost as suddenly as it began, it ended. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves in a darkened living room with the candles almost burned out. Day had turned to night. Looking at the clock, they saw it was now 7:30 pm. They’re connection had lasted for 3.5 hours, and yet it only felt like 10 minutes at most. 

“Welcome back! I hope all went well.” Shado’s voice immediately brought their focus back on the present. Thea and Felicity turned and hugged each other. The tears began to flow once more. 

“He’s alive!” 


	5. Hell hath no fury...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello again. Here's a chapter that I didn't want to write but had to. Thank you again for the kudos and comments.
> 
> Recap: Malcolm offered Thea support in her tough times. Felicity and Thea meet Shado while trying to meet Yao Fei. The three of them perform a ritual that enables them to find out that Oliver is still alive.

Rain pelts the windows as thunder rolls in the distance. It’s like an outward manifestation of her emotional state. Sitting in a hospital room, looking at her “beloved”, Nyssa can’t help but remember the time when they first crossed paths. It had been in Paris where she first felt that spark, and all because someone was running late.

_“HOLD THE BUS!!!” The voice came from down the street. A young woman, running full speed with a full backpack, was still a ways away. Normally, I would’ve ignored the request but I was in a good mood after completing a successful mission and having some down time._

_“There’s someone coming”, I tell the bus driver while I stand in the doorway. Twenty seconds later, here you come; completely out of breath._

_“Thank you”, you gasped while trying to catch your breath, “Thank you so much!”_

_“You’re welcome.” I then turned and boarded the bus, taking a seat up front._

_“I’m Sara”, the you say as you take the open seat next to me._

_“Pleasure to meet you, Sara. I’m Nyssa.” I took a moment to take in your appearance. You were dressed simply in a tank top and shorts. Simple as it may be, you was very cute and I felt an attraction almost immediately. I looked away quickly before drawing attention to myself._

_“So, where are you from Nyssa?”_

_“Well, I’m from [redacted]. And yourself?”_

_“I would’ve guessed you were from England based on your accent. Me, I’m from Star City.”_

_“Ah, my accent. Yes, people are often confused by that. I attended boarding school in London. It’s not nearly as glamorous as it sounds.”_

_“Boarding school in London? Rich kid alert”, Sara teases. “I’m kidding, really. What brings you here to Paris?”_

_“Business, but I managed to finish that earlier than expected so now I have some time to off. What about you?”_

_“Just traveling Europe for the summer. Then I head back home for my Senior year of college. So…no family to get back to? No boyfriend or husband?”_

_“No, just my father and I could use a break from him. So I figured I’d stay here for a while and try to enjoy myself.”_

_“Reeeeeeaally”, Sara asked as she smiled. “I’m on my way to meet a few friends at a bar. You should come along and, you know, let me repay you for holding the bus for me. It’ll be fun, I promise.”_

_I’m not sure what made me take you up on your offer but I couldn’t say no. I never would’ve thought that one simple act of holding a bus for a stranger would completely change my life. We spent the next two weeks traveling through Europe, doing all sorts of things; things I would’ve never considered doing. It was the most fun that I had in my life. You were such a free spirit and I loved every moment that we shared. I had been all over Europe previously but I’d never seen Europe…until you. You showed me a world that I didn’t know existed, all the while charming me with your smile and attitude. All of it culminating in that wonderful night in Prague; in what I thought would be my last night with you._

_Turns out it wasn’t. I’d come see you on campus sometimes, and other times you’d come see me. Being with you was intoxicating. I shared everything about myself with you. Father was anything but approving; telling me that our relationship was inappropriate and distracting. When you decided to join me at the company, he nearly lost his mind. But since I could hire you myself, there was nothing he could do. I know he respected the way you worked and improved rapidly, but he’d never admit it. He still would try to get me to date men he thought were suitable matches but I refused. We became partners, in work and in life. Not a day went by that I wasn’t thankful to have you in my life. I would give or do anything for you. I love you, Sara Lance; more than anyone or anything I’ve ever loved._

Sitting in the chair next to the bed, having just watched the Doctor pronounce the time of death and the nurse cover her with a sheet, Nyssa let go of Sara’s hand and stands over her. She pulls back the sheet and says a prayer for the fallen. Looking on her one last time, she gives Sara a final kiss and leaves the room. 

In the lobby, she finds Quentin and Laurel trying to console one another. As she walks past, she turns to them and says, “I will find whoever is responsible for this.” Nyssa had the steely look of determination on her. Nothing or no one was going to stand in her way from accomplishing her number one priority. 

“You find the sons of bitches that did this to my baby girl and you make them pay. You hear me?! You make them pay!” Nyssa nods and Quentin collapses from grief in a nearby chair and Laurel sits next to him. 

Nyssa continues towards the exit just as Thea and Felicity arrive. In her time with Sara, Thea had become like a sister to her...or mascot as Sara sometimes put it. Thea takes one look at Nyssa and immediately breaks down. “I’m so sorry this happened, Nyssa! This is so horrible. Sara was like a sister to me”, Thea says as she runs and hugs Nyssa. 

“Its ok, child. This isn’t your fault. She loved you like a sister too. She went peacefully. I do not hold you or your family responsible. But those who are responsible will pay dearly.” 

Felicity steps forward and offers, “I think I may be able to help you with that.” 


	6. Bad Girls Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is hatched for investigating Rex's list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A micro update. More of a bridge chapter than anything, but important just the same. Thanks again for the comments and kudos.
> 
> Recap: Sara and Nyssa's backstory is explored as Sara passes away from her injuries.

**5 Days Missing**

“Do you trust him?” 

“Nope.” 

“So how can you ask me to?” 

“I’m not asking you to trust him, Nyssa. I’m asking you to trust _me_ ; to trust _us_.” Felicity, Thea, and Nyssa are sitting in the study at the Queen Mansion, less than 12 hours since Sara’s passing. Nyssa had been restless so she called Felicity to see what she knew. Felicity, unable to sleep herself, suggested that Nyssa come by even though it was 6:45 am. “Rex has an angle in all of this, I just haven’t figured out what it is yet.” 

“But what if he doesn’t? He knew my brother from college, what if he just wants to help?” 

“If that’s true then it’s no sweat, but we have to take it from that standpoint that he’s playing us somehow. He is a mercenary after all; there has to be financial gain in there somewhere for him.” Felicity powers on her tablet and places it on the desk. 

“Sorry I had to run out like that, I’ve been feeling a little nauseous.” Lyla comes back into the study after a brief trip to the restroom. “What was I saying before I left…oh right, the names. They definitely have criminal records. Two of them are former military but were dishonorably discharged after an incident in Germany. The five of them didn’t seem to run in the same circles being that they were from different areas of the country. So I’m thinking that we have two questions we need answered before we can determine if it’s actually them. What brought them together and if they were in Star City the night in question?” 

“It would be easier if I just found them and extricated the information myself”, Nyssa replied nonplussed. 

“What were they discharged for”, Thea asked. 

“Those records take a little longer to get into but I will know later today.” 

“I could’ve hacked and got you the answer in no time at all”, Felicity pouted. 

“Yes, but there’s no reason for you to commit a capital offense when I can obtain the answer legally. Johnnie’s going to do some digging into some of these guys. He prefers the ‘boots on the ground’ method as opposed to the cyber-detective method. These already seem like the kind of guys who do this type of work so hopefully they’re the ones we’re looking for.” 

Felicity starts to giggle, “Sorry, I thought you were going to say ‘they’re the droids we’re looking for’…Anyway, Nyssa, if these are the guys then we need to ‘question’ them about what they know about Oliver’s disappearance before you…um, dispense ‘justice’.” 

“You can make them have an imaginary tea party for all I care, just as long as I get to make them pay for what they’ve done.” 

Felicity nods in affirmation as she opens her email. “Once we verify them, I will post a fake job for them so that they’ll gather together. Sweet! It looks like Cisco got footage of the robbery and sent it over.” 

Nyssa was now confused. “What robbery?” 

“Well, we figured out that the reason nobody saw Oliver’s abductor was because he was wearing a cloak of invisibility…like in Harry Potter? Tell me you’ve seen the Harry Potter movies, Nyssa.” 

“Can’t say that I have.” 

“Well, the first thing we all do when this is over is have a Harry Potter marathon.” Felicity was now very animated. 

“I could never get Ollie to watch those with me, but he’ll owe me big time after this and that’s how he’ll repay me!” Thea turns to Nyssa, “Cisco actually described it as the guy was cloaked like the Predator.” 

Nyssa smirked, “Now _that_ I have seen!” 

“Figures,” grumbled Felicity as she watched the footage. “Well, I’m not sure this is too helpful. He’s rarely in camera and when he is, he’s unidentifiable. He’s in complete ninja garb.” 

“Let me see”, Lyla asks. Felicity stands her tablet on the desk and turns it so that everyone can see. 

“I know exactly who that is”, Nyssa says after watching 20 seconds of footage. “His name is Eric Needham, known in my organization as Black Spider.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter probably won't be until Friday, as it seems to be a big one. I'll try and break it down into smaller ones.


	7. Field Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ladies finish up their planning and Digg heads to Philly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was able to break it up and now it won't be as unruly as it could've been. Thanks for the kudos and comments.
> 
> Recap: Nyssa asks Felicity and the team for help and she helps them by identifying who abducted Oliver.

Felicity types feverishly into her tablet, extricating every bit of information she can find on Eric Needham. She's in shock at this revelation and if it turns out to be true, they could find Oliver much sooner than she'd hoped. 

"So you're telling me that from the few seconds of footage you just watched, you know exactly who that is? How?" Lyla was having difficulty believing that this was even possible. 

"He worked in my organization...well, my father's organization. He was one of our best operatives but had a falling out when it was revealed that I would be taking over after my father stepped down. He then started behaving like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. Obviously, he felt he was the superior option and he left on less than amicable terms." 

"Less than amicable?" Curiosity had gotten the better of Thea. 

"Yes. I told him that if I ever saw him again, I'd castrate him with a rusty butter knife. Less than amicable." There was no humor in Nyssa's tone or expression. "But back to the point, his engagement strategies are textbook. It's how we teach our operatives to engage when alone in the field. Plus his 

tactical suit", Nyssa looks at Felicity, "is a dead give-away." 

"Sorry, but it looks like a ninja outfit to me. I managed to find a bunch of information on him. He's a real piece of work. I have his service records, previous addresses, police records, bank accounts, medical records, etc. Apparently he gets into a lot of fights...or at least he used to." Felicity continued to comb through all of the data that she pulled up.

"He has a bit of an anger problem. Father was able to reign him in a bit. Now that he's out on his own, he may have reverted back to form. He's extremely dangerous. I really hope he's not involved, or if he is then he's finished his contract. If he's finished then it probably means he just handed Oliver off. If he's still involved, I fear that there's torture involved and Eric is sadistic." 

In that instant, hope morphed into fear as a chill passed through the study. Lyla quickly tries to fill the void. "Ok. You ladies keep digging and see what else you can find. I'll make some calls and see if I can get some agents to check out these addresses before I take John to the airport." 

Felicity pulls up the list of names, “Which one is he investigating so I can cross that one off?” 

“He’s heading to Philly to look into Daniel Russo. He’ll be gone for 48 hours; that’s all the time I gave him.” 

“Is it me or does this seem to be getting worse the more we find out?” Thea was now pacing the room, concern emanating from every pore on her body. 

Felicity crosses the study to try and calm Thea down. “Thea, I know it seems that way but it’s much better to know who and what we are dealing with. Right now, we’re just gathering information. Lyla and Digg will be out in the field and we’ll be here. We’re all scared…except for Nyssa…and Lyla. So, we both are scared but we will be fine as long as we work together and stick to the plan. Ok?” 

“Ok, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.” 

“Noted”, Felicity said with a smile. 

“Ok, ladies. I’m off to get ready. I will check in with you all later.” Lyla leaves the study and Nyssa is on her heels. 

“I think I need to have a talk with Father. Keep me posted with what you find. I will see myself out.” 

“It’s kind of exciting, scary but exciting, being a part of a team. I imagine this is how you felt when you were with Ollie.” 

“It was, um, kinda like that. But my head was also spinning trying to keep up with everything that was happening. Add on top of that your brother and I getting together and spending a wonderful Valentine’s day together…’wonderful’ seems like it doesn’t do that day justice. I can’t even think of a proper adjective to describe what it was like but I’ll never forget it. And then everything that happened back here; it’s been like a category 5 hurricane.” 

“What did he do for you on Valentine’s Day?” 

“Tell you what, when we find him I’ll let him tell you.” They both head out of the study and into the kitchen. “Ugh! I have a meeting with Walter at 11 in which I’m sure he’ll tell me that the board, in their infinite wisdom, cancelled the project that he and Oliver worked on and that I was going to lead.” Felicity places her hand on her forehead. “I hope that isn’t it but I have the feeling that is what it will be.” 

“There’s no way that got cancelled. I’ve known Walter for a while and he does not let projects go that he’s involved with, at least that’s what mom said. If anything, it’s just been delayed.” 

“I hope you’re right. Anyway, you’re welcome to come along and then we can grab lunch afterwards.” 

“Sounds like a plan to me”, Thea said while grinning. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity had been to the Executive levels plenty of times; troubleshooting issues and setting things up for presentations and meetings. But this was the first time that she was there for a meeting with the CEO. As she waited outside of Walter Steele's office, she noticed that the EA kept glancing at her. Rumors had been swirling about the nature of her relationship with Oliver Queen. So much so that it precipitated her leaving early the last time she and Oliver were here. It seems that even with his disappearance, it was still a subject of conversation. 

The door opens and out walks Walter Steele. "Terribly sorry about that, Ms. Smoak. This call went longer than expected. Would you like anything to drink?" 

"That's quite alright, Mr. Steele. I'm fine", she responds as they walk into the office. 

"Call me Walter, please. I'm pretty sure you've figured out why we're meeting, Ms. Smoak." 

"Felicity." 

"Felicity. With all of the craziness that has happened in the last 10 days, I decided to postpone the project for about a month." Felicity breathes a sigh of relief. "Did you think it was going to be canceled outright?" 

"Well, I was hoping that it wouldn't but I feared it would." 

"Let me tell you that there's no way that will happen. This project is far too important to the growth of Queen Consolidated and you're going to be a big part of that. It's only a delay and that's all it will be so keep generating those ideas of yours! Hopefully, Oliver will be found and returned to us by then." 

Felicity looks down at her hands, "hopefully." 

"How's Thea been holding up?" 

"Better than anyone could've expected. She literally lost everyone in the span of a week and she keeps moving forward. It's unbelievable. She's here in the building right now." 

"She has her mother's iron will. Tell her she can give me a call anytime if she needs someone to talk to. You too as well. I can see how much Oliver's disappearance has affected you. And from the way he spoke of you, it's pretty obvious that something's going on between you. But that isn't anyone's business but your own." 

"Thank you." 

Walter flashes a soft smile. "One more thing. I know that you work from home currently but this project will require you to be here in Star City. Will that be a problem for you?" 

Even though she enjoys being home, close to her mom and nana, this is her dream job. "No, that shouldn't be a problem. Actually, I'm heading home in a few days and will work from there until this project starts." 

"Fantastic! I will keep you abreast of the status of the project and I can't wait to get started!" 

"Me neither!" They both stand and shake hands before Felicity leaves the office. She feels a little lighter than she did before and was now on her way to lunch with Thea. Big Belly Burger would be great right now! 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John Diggle sits in his rental car outside of the building that is Daniel Russo’s last known address. Digg had landed in Philly a few hours earlier and canvassed the surrounding area, trying to get a lay of the land. Knowing your environment went looking for a dangerous individual is important. You don’t want any surprises. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary in the neighborhood; A few bars, convenience stores, and eateries. Daniel lived in a 4 story walk up and Digg had a perfect eye line to the doorway. 

Hours go by and still no sign of Daniel. He debates whether he should have a look around his apartment for any information or clues. _Too risky_. Checking out these local bars may be a good place to start. He may be there or someone may know him. Before leaving, he grabs his bag from the passenger seat and pulls out a camera. He gets out and affixes it to the nearest tree in direct line with the front door. 

Diggle puts the car in drive, and heads around the corner to the nearest bar. ‘Rocky’s’ was a decent looking bar as far as he could tell. Not too dank but not exactly upscale either; just your typical watering hole. Upon entering the bar, Digg is greeted by a series of photos by the door. They’re just pictures of people enjoying a drink in the establishment. Some are very old, telling him that this place has been in this neighborhood for years. Venturing further in, he notices that it’s a rather quiet night. There are a few patrons but otherwise it’s empty. He takes a seat at the bar and the bartender comes over to take his order. 

“What can I get you, boss?” 

“Club soda, please. Don’t want to start too early.” 

The bartender chuckles, “Too early for what?” 

“I’m supposed to be meeting an old army buddy of mine. He’s actually in a picture you have up front.” 

“Yea? Who is he?” 

“Daniel. Daniel Russo. We were in Basic together. He told me if I was ever in town, to look him up. So here I am.” 

The bartender turns to grab a glass, “He’s a funny guy. He’s in here a lot, always hitting on the women.” 

“Yea, he fancies himself a ladies man!” 

“And he’s far from it. I haven’t seen him around here for a couple weeks.” He hands Digg his drink. “Were you able to talk to him?” 

“Yea, he just isn’t home right now.” 

“Hmm, well you can wait here obviously. He’ll probably come strolling in here any minute. I’ll turn the game on for you.” The bartender grabs the remote and turns on the television. 

“Thanks. Who’s playing?” 

“Flyers and Capitals. It should be a good one.” Digg settles in to watch the hockey game. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

**4 Days Earlier**

“AAAAAAH!” He is jolted awake by ice cold water. “Felicity?” He looks around frantically only to realize that she isn’t there. He is in a room that he doesn’t recognize, strapped to a chair. Oliver tries to slow his breathing and remember what happened, but the last thing he remembers is going to bed with Felicity. 

“Sorry, Mr. Queen, but your girlfriend isn’t here. That should be the least of your concerns.” 

Oliver looks around the room but can’t see anything. He is sitting directly under the only light and the rest of the room is cloaked in darkness. “If you’ve done anything to her, I swear to God, I’ll…”

The voice erupts in laughter. “Stop it, Mr. Queen, you’re hilarious! What exactly do you plan to do ‘if I hurt her’? You’re currently strapped to a chair, somewhere unknown, facing an unknown amount of enemies. This is the epitome of an empty threat. But just so you know, I didn’t do anything to her, as far as I know she’s perfectly fine. You on the other hand…”

“What do you want?!” Oliver was now wincing from the piercing headache that he was having. 

“Yea, you’re probably having a migraine from the tranquilizer I used on you. It’s an unfortunate side effect but it’s the price you have to pay for the best. Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you a little. It seems that you really pissed someone off. My employer went to a lot of trouble to capture you…and it wasn’t cheap either. If he’d listened to me in the beginning, I’d have saved him a lot of trouble but I digress.” 

The light shuts off above Oliver’s head and a few seconds later, the lights in the room turn on. The room was filled with all kind of devices that Oliver could pretty much guess were used for torture. “So, it’s torture then?” 

“Indeed. And I am very good at it. My employer isn’t looking for any information from you nor does he need you for anything. He wants you to suffer, plain and simple, before he ultimately kills you. Now I’ve been hired to do a lot of things but this…torturing someone for nothing but pleasure is the strangest thing I’ve done. Whatever you did, like I said earlier, you really pissed him off.” 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About halfway through the second period, Digg started to not feel well. He looks down the bar to the bartender, who was washing glasses. “Hey, where’s your restroom?” 

“It’s around the corner here, on the left.” 

“Thanks.” Digg gets up and heads to the bathroom. He’s a little disoriented but able to make it. As he enters the bathroom, he is greeted with a well-placed fist to his chin which instantly knocks him out. The bartender comes running around the corner and sees what happened. 

“Good. Get rid of him and make it look like an accident. I already told Daniel that someone was looking for him. Do you need help?” 

“No, I should be able to manage”, the other man responds. The bartender pats Digg down and finds his gun. 

“Army buddy my ass. He smells like a cop, no badge though.” He finds his wallet. “He came all the way from Vegas, eh? Welcome to Philly, John Diggle. Too bad you won’t be leaving.” 


	8. Penance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out more about what happened to Oliver and if Diggle can get out of trouble in Philly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After tonight's episode, I'm glad I had this to distract me. It was great to see Cisco use drones on The Flash though.
> 
> Recap: Diggle headed to Philly to investigate and gets into trouble. Oliver awakens to find out what kind of mess he was in.
> 
> p.s. there is some swearing in this.

**2 Days Missing**

"You know something, Oliver; I feel like I can call you 'Oliver' now since we're about to become extremely close. You know something, Oliver? I have to say that I respect the hell out of you. The fight you put up to avoid capture was pretty remarkable. The use of drones? I mean, who the hell could've seen that coming? We sure didn't. It was great! It made me wish I was there but I had other things to do." 

Oliver was busy trying to figure a way out of wherever he was and the first task was to get through his captor. "Well if you thought it was fun watching me wreak havoc, just wait until you try and get me into any of those devices by yourself", Oliver bit out with smile. 

"Oh, I'm not going to put you into anything. You're going to get up and get in all by yourself." 

"And why would I do that?" 

"Because if you don't, your sister will wake up one morning with the blonde head of your little girlfriend in her bed. Or maybe I'll do it the other day around. Either way, someone else very near and dear to you will be dead. Or maybe I'll just switch both of their heads at the same time." 

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" Oliver was trying desperately to get out of the chair. 

"Take it easy! Nothing's happened to them...yet. As long as you cooperate, they'll be fine. The ball is in your court." He goes back to preparing the first device for use. 

_Dammit! I don't have a play here. I'm going to have to sit tight and hope that the others find me before it's too late._

"It won't be too much longer. Sit tight", he says with a devilish grin. 

**5 Days Missing – the Present**

The two men carry Diggle's body out of the back of the bar and place him in the trunk of a waiting car. "His car has to be on the street, we'll have to get rid of it later. " The bartender closes the trunk and begins to walk back inside. "Remember, do not get pulled over for anything. This needs to be clean." He heads inside as the other man nods in affirmation. He goes to get in the driver's side when he struck in the chest with 3 arrows on rapid succession, dropping him instantly. Out of the shadows, the marksman steps forward to retrieve the 3 arrows. Popping the trunk, the marksman heads to the rear. She quickly checks his pulse to make sure he's alive and then waves smelling salts under his nose. 

"Uh-uh-what? Where am I?" Diggle rubs his head in confusion and to try and clear some of the cobwebs out. 

"You're in the alley behind the bar. They were going to kill you." 

"Nyssa, I was wondering what you were planning." He shakes his head to try and clear it. 

"Hello, John. How long did you know I was tailing you?" 

"I didn't see you come into the bar but when I was trying to get to the bathroom, I saw you out of my periphery. How'd you know where I'd be?" 

Nyssa helps John out of the trunk. "Good ol' fashioned detective work. Plus, Lyla told me you were coming here so finding you wasn't that difficult." 

Looking around, John sees the body of one of his attackers. "What do we do with him?" 

"We can just put him in the car for someone else to find. John, what I'm about to do will undoubtedly be...messy. If you don't want to be involved, I certainly understand. I can handle it on my own." 

"Do you think I'm not going to get back at the person who just tried to kill me? I'm in." 

"Good." Nyssa hands John a gun. "I assume they took yours." 

"Yep. I plan on getting it back. I like that gun." The place the body inside the car and get ready to go inside. 

"You go in through the back door and I'll come in through the front. Don't come out until I signal you. I assume he'll think you're dead by then." John enters the back quietly and Nyssa enters through the front. The bar was emptying out; it looked like it was closing early. 

"Sorry lady, we're closing", said the man behind the bar. 

Nyssa calmly approaches the bartender, "Oh come on, it's a little early to be closing." The bartender's stern expression is unchanged. "Fine, let me have just one drink and I'll be on my way. Just a quick shot." 

The bartender relents, "One shot. What'll you have?" 

"Four horsemen." 

"Wow! Must've been one helluva day", he says with surprise as he prepares the shot. 

"You can say that. But I think it's about to get better", she says flirtatiously. Holding out her hand she says, "I'm Nyssa." 

He slides her shot over and takes her hand. "Hi Nyssa, I'm...", but before he could finish she puts his hand on the bar and stabs it with her knife. "FRAAAAAAAANK!!!! OH GOD! YOU BITCH!!" She stabbed him with so much force that the knife was stuck in the bar, which meant that he wasn't going anywhere. 

"Now Frank, is that anyway to talk to a lady", she said as she signaled Digg. "Lock the doors." John glared at Frank as he did what he was told. "Ok Frank, I already know how this is going to go. We will ask you a bunch of questions and you'll refuse to answer them out of some misguided loyalty, forcing us to torture them out of you." Nyssa calmly places five knives on the bar in front of Frank. "Since that's just a waste of time, we're going to skip ahead to the torture part. Does that sound good to you, John?" Nyssa looks over her shoulder at him. 

"Since this is in the interest of expediency, I'm ok with it", Digg says with a smile. 

"WAIT", Frank screamed out through sobs. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"We really need to stop bumping in to each other like this", Felicity says jokingly._

_"How do you mean", Oliver asks._

_"In my dreams, silly!"_

_"What makes you so sure that is, in fact, a dream?"_

_"Well, let's see. You and I are having a conversation while floating in an empty void. I know that I'm not the Avatar and so this couldn't be the spirit world. So dream it is!"_

_"You make some good points but...you could be the Avatar. Maybe your powers are still dormant."_

_"Wouldn't that be something. I miss...us."_

_"I do too, Felicity. But I'll be here when you find me and we can get back to 'us'." Oliver looks over his shoulder and then back at Felicity. His face now wore the look of sadness. He leans in and gives her a chaste kiss. "I have to go. I know you'll find me. I believe in you", he says right before he disappears._

Felicity comes to, sitting on the edge of the bathtub as its being filled with water. Her body was tingling all over. _That's right, I was drawing my bath. Did I fall asleep? Or was I really...nooooo! That couldn't have been real!_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Look! I've told you everything I know, what more do you want from me?!" 

"Unfortunately for you, Frank, none of what you told us was helpful. And I still believe you are withholding information." Digg walks up beside Frank, grabs his other hand and places it on the bar. He gives Nyssa a pointed look, who smirks in return. "Where is he?" She picks up a knife off of the bar. 

"Wait, you don't have to do this! I don't know where he is! I've told you everything!" Nyssa plunges the knife through his hand and into the bar. "AAAAAAAAHHH! YOU FUCKING CUNT!!" Digg gives him a hard elbow to the chest and Nyssa picks up two more knives; the playfulness is complete gone and she turns stone cold. 

"What did you just call me?" Digg takes two large steps away from Frank. 

"Ok, ok! He's downstairs. There's a false wall in the back that hides a secret room. You'll find him there." Frank was barely standing at this point. 

Nyssa's stone façade broke and she had a more neutral expression on her face. "Thank you for your cooperation. Drinks are on me." She slams the knives into his hands, then pours the shot out on his wounds. "That should help fight any infections." She removes all 4 knives at once from his hands, causing Frank to stumble backwards. Digg knocks him out with a well-placed punch. 

"You think he'll be alright right there?" 

"I don't imagine he's going anywhere. We have someone else to worry about", she says as she pulls out her Desert Eagle. She cleans her blades and places them inside her coat. "Are you ready?" 

"Let's go." 

Slowly and quietly they descend down the staircase in the back to the cellar. Quickly they find the false wall and the hidden door. They feel around on the faux brick wall for the trigger to open the door. Digg is able to locate it and presses the brick in, which pops the door open. They enter with their guns drawn and find Daniel, laying on a cot, watching tv. 

Realizing that he is no longer alone, Daniel sits up with his hands in the air. "Who are you?" Neither Nyssa nor Digg say anything. The just continue to point their guns at him. 

Nyssa reaches into her jacket, produces 3 photos and drop them on the bed. "Do you recognize these 3?" 

Recognition flashed across Daniel's face...and then fear. "Listen, this job got out of hand. All we were there to do was to grab Oliver's sister and use her for bait. But they put up a fight and TJ got out of control. He roughed her up pretty good and killed her mother. The other one, she was the toughest, worked us over pretty good until we were able to subdue her; and by subdue I mean it took 3 guys to hold her. She was one tough broad." 

"That's my Beloved you're speaking of", Nyssa says in an icy tone. 

"Your Belov...", Daniel understands before he's able to finish his question. "Aw geez, look lady I'm sorry. I didn't know." 

"What else happened", Digg asks. 

"Oh...right. Then this guy literally shows up out of nowhere. Like one minute nobody's there, and the next minute he's standing right next to us. He drops TJ like a sack of potatoes and tells us to leave. I thought maybe he was a friend of hers because you can tell she recognized him. But they weren't friends because he beat her mercilessly. She tried to fight back but it was pointless. I couldn't look any longer. We picked up TJ and got the hell out of there." 

There was fire in Nyssa's eyes. Digg was amazed that she hadn't unloaded her clip into him. She reached into another pocket in her jacket and produced another photo. "Is this the man you saw?" 

"I don't know, he was wearing some type of mask." Nyssa pulled out another photo. 

"Was this the mask?" 

"Yes! That's it! I have nightmares about that thing! Geez, you know this guy?" 

Nyssa whispers to Digg, "Eric Needham." 

Digg nods. "Where are the keys to your apartment?" Daniel slowly reaches into his pants and pulls out his keys. He tosses them to Nyssa. 

She turns and hands them to Digg and whispers, "why don't you go check his place out? I will join you in a few minutes." 

"You don't have to do this." 

"Yes. I do." Nyssa was fighting back tears but was standing as strong as a steel beam. "Go. I will handle this." Digg turns and leaves realizing that he would not win this battle. Nyssa binds Daniel's hands and feet with zip ties. “To answer your question, yes I do know him and he will be dealt with accordingly. As for you, I am undecided. Your friend upstairs tried to have my friend killed. I don’t believe he’ll be using his hands anytime soon.” 

“Listen, lady, like I said we had no intention of killing anyone. The situation got out of control. Show a little mercy!” 

“Just as you showed mercy to Moira Queen? Just as you showed mercy to Thea Queen? Just as you showed mercy to my Beloved? You didn’t grant any of them mercy, why would you beg for it here? I do not grant mercy or give forgiveness. If that’s what you’re after then pray to your God!” Nyssa pulls out one of her knives. “I could shoot you in the head but that would be too quick. Slitting your throat is very barbaric. What I’m about to do will kill you, just a little slower than the other two options.” 

“You don’t have to do this! I’m sorry, ok? I’m sorry!!” But Nyssa was having none of it. She walked over and stabbed Daniel in the thigh, slicing his femoral artery in two. He lets out a guttural scream. 

“If you see my Beloved, my Sara, do apologize for your transgressions and tell her that I will see her again.” Then she calmly turns on her heels and leaves. 


	9. Familiar Faces...New Places.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyssa goes after name #2 on the list, Felicity tells Thea her plan, and Thea meets with Malcolm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello again. Here we are again with another chapter. I'm enjoying writing Nyssa, especially since she's my favorite character on the show. Thanks for the Kudos and comments. I will get around to responding to them, been kinda busy.
> 
> Recap: Nyssa rescues Digg from the clutches of death and crosses off a name on the list. Oliver finds out why he cannot fight being tortured. Felicity has another "Dream" about Oliver.

Nyssa was leaning against his car when he exited the apartment building. John honestly didn't approve on her methods but the fact that she did save his life from these people earned her some leeway. "So how'd it go back there", he asked as he approached her. 

"Everything went to plan. How about you? Did you find anything useful in there?" 

"I found some things. I don't know how useful they'll be but I'll take them back and see what we can find out. Daniel told us what we needed to know pretty much. Are you heading back?" 

"No, I am traveling to Miami. TJ, Thomas Jordan, lives there." 

"So you're going to just work your way through the list?" 

"That is my intention." 

"Nyssa, revenge will not make you feel better nor will it bring Sara back." 

Nyssa watches as several cars pass them before she speaks again. "This isn't about revenge. This is about justice. Justice is balance. They're responsible for the death of Moira Queen and partly responsible for the death of Sara Lance. To balance the scales, they must die. All of them." Nyssa stands up off of the car and starts to walk towards hers. "Be mindful of your surroundings, Mr. Diggle. I won't be there to save you this time", she says with a smile. 

"Will do", he chuckles while getting into his car. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**2 Days Missing**

“As you can see, Oliver, there is quite the variety of torture devices, from various civilizations, spread throughout this room. We humans like to believe that we’re much more evolved than our brethren in the animal kingdom but, looking at the various contraptions we designed to inflict pain, I’d disagree! And not just because of these, look at how women were treated during the witch trials or any type of slavery. We are in fact worse than the animals that we subjugate and domesticate.” 

Eric walks over and stands in front of Oliver. “I was instructed by my employer…your tormentor, to use each and every one of these devices on you. Now, when I told him that you’d die long before I could use them all, he told me to do whatever I had to do to keep you alive. He wanted the pleasure of killing you himself.” 

“Well I guess I should be honored that someone thinks that highly of me but it seems that he is too much of a coward to face me and do it himself. Let me ask you a question, if he paid you enough would you wipe his ass too?” 

Eric starts to laugh, “Oh, Mr. Queen. Trying to get a rise out of me? It’s not the best strategy, especially when you’re completely defenseless.” He gives Oliver a solid right cross to the jaw and then a shot to the stomach, knocking the air out of him. “Now that we’ve got that settled, I think we’ll start with a little Chinese Water Torture.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**6 Days Missing (Present)**

"So, John is on his way back today." Thea, Lyla, and Felicity were sitting around the table having breakfast. "He said that he pretty much got what he was looking for. He also said Nyssa was there, and good thing too because she saved his life." Thea and Felicity look at each other in shock. 

"She sure didn't mention that she was going to Philly when she left here", Felicity supplies. 

"I know, but good thing she did. He said she's headed to Miami next. She's going to take out the entire list. She-", Lyla starts to gag. "Excuse me", she says as she gets up from the table and heads to the bathroom. 

"Listen, Thea, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. After Sara's funeral, I'm heading back to Vegas." Thea's face falls a little. 

"Oh! Um...well I figured you'd have to go back home sometime. I mean, your family's there and I'm sure they really want to see you, given all that's been going on." 

Felicity reaches out and holds Thea's hand. "I'm sorry to spring this on you like this. And hey, you are more than welcome to come. Oliver still has his apartment that I'm sure he wouldn't mind you using. It'd be great having you there and I'll still be looking for him." She offers Thea a soft smile. 

"Oh, no, I didn't mean for you to apologize. I understand completely. I guess I just wasn't ready to hear it. And maybe I will come to Vegas." Lyla returns from the bathroom and takes her seat. Both women's attention turns to her. "So, Lyla", says Thea, "How long have you been pregnant?" 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

It was overcast and breezy on South Beach. Nyssa slowly walked along the water’s edge, her thoughts bouncing from memories of Sara to her mission of vengeance. They’d spent many wonderful days and nights at various beaches around the world; Sara, the more flamboyant of the two, wearing two-pieces and monokinis. Nyssa was far more comfortable in singlets. They never really got into the water, at least not too deep. Just above the knees is where they generally stood. Relaxing and sunbathing was their activities of choice, though Sara had to be careful because she burned easily. 

But those days were gone. Her future was gone. Taken from her unjustly by one man in particular, Eric Needham. Moira and Thea were messages to Oliver, but Sara was definitely a message to her. The next time that they crossed paths, Nyssa will not hesitate to end him. She stares out at the ocean, getting her mind where it needs to be to accomplish her mission. With her focus returned to the task at hand, she pops her pill and sets out to capture her prey. 

Standing outside his apartment door, Nyssa unbuttons the top 2 buttons on her blouse exposing a little cleavage. She knocks on the door and waits. She can hear movement inside the apartment and determines that if he doesn’t answer soon then she’ll take the more direct approach by kicking the door down. 

The door opens as far as the chain on it will allow. “Yes?” 

“Hi. You don’t know me but I just moved in down the hall recently. Well, this is kind of embarrassing, I locked myself out and the locksmith said that it’d be a couple of hours. Do you mind if I wait here?” 

He looks back into his apartment before looking her up and down, “I guess. Is it just you or do you have a roommate or something?” 

“It’s just me”, Nyssa replies with a smile as he opens the door for her to come in. “Thank you so much! I really appreciate this. I don’t really know anyone here and you were the first person to answer the door.” 

“Mmhmm. Can I get you something to drink”, he asks while pointing her to the sofa. 

“Water would be fine, thanks.” She takes a seat on the sofa and waits for him to return. 

“So you locked yourself out, huh? Never done that before.” He fills her glass with ice water. “What’s your name?” 

Nyssa debates whether to give her real name or not. Doesn’t really matter since he’s as good as dead anyway. “Nyssa. How about you?” 

“I’m TJ, at least that’s what my friends call me. Nyssa; that’s an unusual name”, he says as he enters the living room with the drinks. “Pretty though. I must’ve seen you around because you look familiar.” 

“You probably have. I generally stay to myself though. Can I have a napkin?” 

“Sure!” TJ sets his drink down and gets a paper towel from the kitchen. 

“Thanks”, she says as she dabs at the few drops that spilled. Almost instantly, her vision becomes blurry and she begins to sweat. She leans back on the couch. 

“You know, I didn’t recognize you from around the building. You’re that blonde girl from Star City’s girlfriend. I never forget a face. I was going to have a little fun with her before that guy showed up. If I ever see him again…” TJ reaches into his pocket and pulls out a vial, placing it on the coffee table. “You’re feeling the effects of this baby here. I forget what it’s called but that doesn’t matter. It will incapacitate you while I have some fun. None of this would’ve happened had you not shown up here so this is really your fault.” TJ tries to stand but immediately falls back down in the chair. 

Nyssa takes a deep breath and leans forward, producing a pill bottle from her pocket. “You are such an amateur. Do you see these pills? They’re formulated by my company to counteract most of the commonly used toxins in the world. Of course, I wasn’t sure you’d try and drug me but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t going to be prepared.” She stands up, places the bottle back in her pocket, and produces a small vial. “Now this is the venom of the Tibetan Pit Viper. I put this in your drink when you retrieved my napkin. You’ve already felt the effects of the paralytic. Pretty soon, your nerves will feel like they’re on fire and then your breathing will become labored. And finally, your heart will shut down. All of this will be very painful and when this happens, just remember that all of this was your fault. Good day!” Nyssa replaces the vial in her pocket and leaves the apartment. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a long time since Thea had been in the Merlyn home. She remembered coming to dinner parties when she was younger and the few times Ollie would allow her to tag along when he would play with Tommy. It was a much warmer home back then. Now it has a vacant and sterile feeling; like no one has ever lived there and it’s only been staged for the occasional presentation. Today it was busier there than it has been in a long time. Apparently, Malcolm is being called away for a business emergency and is preparing to leave. 

As his driver takes the last of his bags to the car, Malcolm bounds down the stairs and greets Thea in the foyer. “Thea! So glad to see you. I’m really sorry about this but it’s a big emergency that I have to be there for.” 

“No problem, I understand. I just wanted your advice on something.” 

“Sure, whatever you need.” He leads her to the sofa in the living room. 

“You’ve…been through a similar situation that I’m going through now, and a friend has offered me the opportunity to come stay with her for a while. Now, I know that you went away when you lost Tommy and Rebecca. I want to know if it was really helpful?” 

“People will tell you that you can’t run from your problems, and yet when I lost Rebecca that’s exactly what I tried to do. It didn’t work and so when I lost Tommy, I was filled with anger. I blamed your brother, because I knew that’s who he was going to see and I had no doubt that he indirectly caused the accident. I left after that because my anger was going to cause me to do something that I would regret. I was wrong and getting away this time helped me. It helped to be out of the circus here so that I could grieve properly. I say all of that to say that if you do leave, just make sure you aren’t running. Face your feelings so that you can properly move on.” 

“Sir, sorry for interrupting but I really must insist that we get going”, said the driver who was standing at the door. 

“On my way”, Malcolm called over his shoulder. “Well, I really need to leave now”, he says turning back to Thea. They both rise from the couch and head to the front door. “I think you should go. It’d be good for you, just remember what I said.” 

“Thank you, Malcolm”, she says as they hug. 

“Don’t mention it. Now, you have my cell phone number. Call me any time if you need to talk, ok?” 

“Ok. Have a safe trip.” 

“You too, Thea!” They both head to their cars and proceed to their respective destinations. 

_I can’t wait to tell Felicity that I’m coming to Vegas. It’ll be tough to stay in Ollie’s apartment but at least I’ll be near him in some ways. Malcolm really did make a good point but I can’t believe he felt Ollie was responsible for Tommy’s death. I’m glad he realized how ridiculous that was. His driver looked familiar, like really familiar. Where have I seen him…_ ”ERIC!” 


	10. A Glimmer of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Lyla return from the airport and the group puts together a plan to track the recently discovered Eric Needham. Nyssa is notified and Felicity goes to see Shado again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this chapter was a struggle. Just couldn't get it right for some reason but it's time to move on. Next chapter should be much better. It's all Oliver. Comments and Kudos are always welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Recap: Eric begins to torture Oliver, Thea and Felicity discover that Lyla's pregnant, and Nyssa tracked down another person on her list.

**6 Days Missing (Present)**

“C’mon Felicity, pick up! Pick up, pick up, pick up!” Thea was desperate to tell Felicity what she had just witnessed but she couldn’t get in contact with her. She’d called 3 times and sent a text but hasn’t received a response, which was unusual. She was 10 minutes away from the mansion but it felt like it would take hours to get there.

_“I can’t figure this out at all. I hope it’s really you, Oliver, but I’m afraid that it’s just my subconscious which probably means that I’m going crazy and you’re great and all but I am too young and too intelligent to be going crazy for a person who, for all intents and purposes, I’ve only known for a short while…no offense.”_

_Oliver gazes at her with a loving smile, “I always love when you babble. It’s no different here!”_

_“See, I know that. And I know that because you’ve told me that before so you could just be my subconscious reciting that to me at this moment, trying to make me think you’re real and…”_

_Oliver interrupts her by placing a hand on her shoulder. “Fe-li-ci-ty. You’re overthinking this. You contact me when you want that feeling of what we shared. That doesn’t make you crazy, it just means that you miss me. And that’s ok, more than ok.”_

_“Yes, but there are things I want and need to know like where you are and if you’re hurt. I think I need to talk to Shado again.”_

_“That’s probably a good idea but until then, let’s just enjoy the moment.” All of a sudden, they’re seated next to each other on a bench and Oliver pulls Felicity into an embrace. She’s now leaning her head on his shoulder while leaning into him with his arm wrapped around her side._

_“Now this makes me think that this isn’t my subconscious playing tricks on me because I can smell you and feel the warmth.”_

_“Fe-li-ci-ty! Shhhh.”_ When she opens her eyes, she finds Thea sitting directly in front of her. 

A confused Felicity asks, “How long have you been sitting there?” 

Looking down at her watch, Thea replies, “Oh about 25 minutes. I called your phone like 3 or 4 times and when I got here, I found you sitting on the floor. I tried to wake you but couldn’t. Is everything ok?” 

Felicity looks down at her phone, which was sitting next to her. She had indeed missed 4 calls from Thea, and a text. “I was just meditating just like your brother showed me. Apparently I was deep in thought because I didn’t hear any of these calls or you trying to wake me. I think we need to go see Shado again.” 

“I’m down for that but first, you’ll never guess who I saw today.” 

“Who”, Felicity asks. 

“Eric Needham.” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thea and Felicity know I’m pregnant.” Lyla and John were returning from the airport. They were about 5 minutes away from the mansion. 

“You told them? I thought you didn’t want anyone to know.” 

“I didn’t tell them, they figured it out from all of my morning sickness.” 

“Oh. How is that? Has it gotten any better?” 

“Nope. You men are so lucky!” 

“Well that depends on how you define luck”, Digg says with a smirk. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Digg raises his hands in self-defense, “You’re right, we are lucky. Anyway, how’d they take the news?” 

“They were happy for me, though I can tell Felicity was kind of concerned. I haven’t exactly shared with them our reconciliation. Just haven’t had the time.” 

“So she’s wondering how I’m dealing with all of this based on how she saw us last. It’s only natural. We’ll tell them when all of this is over. We need to focus on the task at hand, which is to find Oliver.” They pull up to Queen Manor. 

“As great as it is here, I can’t wait to go home. It’ll feel real good to sleep in our own bed again.” 

“Yea, just a few more days. The funeral is in 2 days, have you heard from Nyssa today?” 

“No, but I’m quite certain she won’t miss it. I’m a little concerned about her. She’s really hurting and I’m afraid that she’ll get reckless because of it.” 

“She seemed very much in control in Philly but we better hurry and find Eric because watching her take apart that bartender was scary. I can only imagine what she’ll do to the others.” 

Lyla begins to chuckle as they get out of the car. “I never thought you’d be scared of any woman, let alone one as small as Nyssa.” 

“Make fun all you want but you didn’t see what I saw.” They enter the mansion and hear yelling coming from the study. They pick up the pace and enter the study to find Felicity yelling at her tablet while Thea sits and listens. 

Lyla taps Thea to get her attention. “What’s going on?” 

“Well, I ran into Eric today. He was chauffeuring Malcolm Merlin and I told Felicity. Now, she and Cisco arguing over various means of surveillance.” 

“Cisco, why won’t you give me access to the satellite? My asking is just a courtesy; I could hack into it if I wanted.” 

“I’ll give you two reasons. One, I’d get fired; and two, I’d get fired. I know how important this is but this is asking too much. Also, I know you could hack into the satellite but I’d really advise you against that…trust me!” 

Felicity rolls her eyes. “Well you’re not leaving me with many options here. You already said no to using the drones!” 

“Felicity, you’re asking to use drones in foreign countries. Our Government gets into enough trouble as is for that and they’re the Government. Imagine what would happen if we’re caught. So many laws broken; international laws no less. No, there has to be another way. What about hacking their security system?” 

“No, their system is completely walled off. I’d have to manually access their servers which they have in highly fortified areas.” Felicity places her head in her hands from frustration. 

“I’m really sorry, Felicity. But I can’t do those things. We’ll figure something out, we always do.” 

“Hopefully before it’s too late”, she mumbles. “Thanks, Cisco!” 

"Sorry I couldn't be more helpful but I'm brainstorming ideas so I'll be in touch." Cisco logs off and Felicity shifts her focus to the others. 

"You two are right on time. I heard Thea fill you in while I was talking with Cisco; we're trying to find our avenue of attack here but it's proving to be very difficult." 

Digg takes a seat by the desk. "Ok, let's start from the beginning. Who else knows about this?" 

"Besides the 4 of us and Cisco, nobody", Thea supplies. 

"Well then our next step should be to tell Nyssa." Both Thea and Felicity look at Diggle confused. "I know that this doesn't seem to be a big deal but in Philly, she pulled my butt out of the fire. Plus, this got even more personal for her as we found out that it was Eric who killed Sara. She's currently working her way through the list and I'd bet that she's almost finished." 

"Retaliation for him losing his position at her company, no doubt. I hate to imagine what she's going to do to him now but it certainly won't be classified as a 'less than amicable'", Thea jokes. 

"We tell her but we can't have her flying off the handle and killing him", Lyla declares. "He's our only link to Oliver; if we lose him, we lose Oliver." 

"Right, so the next thing is we need to do two things: Determine if Merlyn is indeed involved and, if not, then track Eric to whereever he goes. The easiest thing right now would be to track Merlyn's movements for the last year." 

Thea looks at Digg quizically. "The last year? Ollie's only been missing a week." 

"Yes but something like this takes a lot of planning so we go back a year. Him being a public figure makes it easier but we're going to have to dig deeper. We're going to need a tail on them, especially Eric. I'm sure that any of us would get made. We could ask Nyssa but I don't want to put her in the position where she may kill him and we don't get anything. That really leaves only one person that I can think of..." 

"Rex", Felicity interjects. "We're not even sure if he'll do it, plus I still don't trust him...even though his list was legit." 

John stands up and walks around the desk towards Felicity. "I know you don't, and I'm not sure that I do either but we have to try. This might be the only chance we get to save Oliver. We can come up with some contingency plans just in case." 

Felicity looks at John, then Thea and Lyla as she considers her answer. Rex did ask her how far she was willing to go to get Oliver back and trusting him would be going far. But John was right, this was their best shot and they couldn't waste it. "Ok, I will contact him. Hopefully he responds. I will also inform Nyssa on what we know. But I also need access to Merlyn Global's servers so we need to figure out how to make that happen." 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hello?" 

"Hey Nyssa, it's Felicity. Are you busy?" 

"No, not really. Is there something you need?" 

"Yes, actually. We need you to come back to Star City. We made a major break in the case, plus we need your expertise on a related job. This may be our only shot to find Oliver and take those responsible down so how fast can you get here?" 

"I will leave here shortly and be there first thing in the morning." 

"Great! I'll tell the others and we'll fill you in when you get here. Bye!" 

"Bye." Nyssa places her phone in her pocket and stands up from the table. "Well, it looks like my time here is at an end. My presence has been requested elsewhere. Thank you for giving me the location of your two friends, Gerald." Gerald has both his hands and feet bound to the chair he's sitting and his mouth is gagged. He also has arrows sticking out of both knees. "It gives me no pleasure to do this, it is just something that has to be done." 

Nyssa nocks an arrow and shoots him in the heart, 3 times; the third arrow knocking Gerald over onto the floor. That's 3 down but she'll have to save the other 2 for later. This sounded important to Felicity and her Beloved's funeral was soon. She makes a beeline to her waiting vehicle and heads to the airport. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity knocks on the door, hoping to God that she's home. Thankfully the door opens. "Felicity, this is unexpected! What brings you here?" 

"Hi Shado, I need your help. I think that I've been communicating with Oliver." 

"That's impossible." 

"Well, 48 hours ago I would've said the same thing about what you showed us." 

"Fair enough. Come in and let's see if we can figure this out." They head into the living room and take seats on the couch. “Thea didn’t want to come this time?” 

“She was going to come but decided that she wanted to start packing. I haven’t told her about my communications with Oliver. I don’t want her to think I’m losing it, though I did question that myself.” 

“So why do you think it’s actually him that you’re talking to?” 

“Because it feels the same way it did when we did it here; exactly the same. Believe me, I’ve tried to convince myself that it wasn’t real but I can just feel it. Have you ever heard of something like this?” 

Shado stands up and goes to the window. “I’d wondered if something like this was possible. I mean, if you could psychically connect with someone, how much further is it to communicate? My grandmother didn’t think it was possible and I never could do it. You’d be the first that I know of.” Shado returns to her seat on the couch. “We need to test it to make sure that it is him you’re talking to and not yourself. You need to ask him a question that only he would know the answer to…something personal.” 

Felicity considered what Shado suggested for a moment. “The only person who would know something like that is Thea…possibly Laurel.” 

“Good! Then all we need is for Thea to give us a question to ask him.” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**5 Days Missing – Oliver**

His body was wrecked. He was sore in parts of his body that he didn’t even know could get sore. Days of physical torture, topped off with him not being allowed to enter REM sleep, left him completely drained. Everything was hazy and even that seemed to hurt. The only thing driving Oliver is the thought of home; something to get back to…someone to get back to. Even that was starting to fade; the big sleep was so inviting at this point. But no, he couldn’t give whoever his captors were the satisfaction of him wanting to die. The door squeaks open and the tormentor enters. 

“Good morning, Oliver. How are we feeling today?” Oliver refuses to answer. “Still not speaking to me I see. Doesn’t matter, I don’t need you to talk anyway. Seems that you’ll be getting a little R and R the next few days. I have to go and pick up my employer…and I’ll be bringing him back here. He’s enjoyed hearing about our sessions but now he wants to witness them personally. I thought we’d have a little more alone time but apparently not. I’m leaving you with enough MRE’s and bottles of water to last you 3 days. I’d tell you to stay put and rest but we both know that you won’t do either. I already know how this will end but…you’re not going to listen to reason so I leave you to your own devices.” Eric leaves the way he came, closing the heavy metal door tightly behind him. 

Oliver is relieved at the 3 day respite he seems to be getting, though he is wary that it may be a trick. _I need to get the hell out of here, now!_ He tries to sit up but his body isn’t cooperating. He can’t move an inch and he can feel the ever increasing gravity of sleep pulling him. _There’s nothing I can do in my current state except rest. I just hope I don’t sleep the 3 days away._ Finally, Oliver relents and enters the dark void of sleep. 


	11. Homeward Bound?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver's situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So this chapter is all Oliver. The next one will be as well. They will be used to catch up to the other timeline. The introduction of the "Big Bad" to Oliver is coming and I can't wait. Comments and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> Recap: Digg returned from Philly to find out Eric has been working for Malcolm Merlyn and the group develops a plan of action. Felicity contacts Nyssa and Rex and then goes to see Shado. Eric leaves Oliver alone and will be gone for 3 days while he goes to get his employer.

**5 Days Missing (Oliver)**

_Well, this is certainly strange. Floating around in an empty void, this must be a dream. What’s even stranger is that I know I’m dreaming and I haven’t woken up yet. Hey, there’s Felicity; who is she talking to? Oliver floats over in her direction. Wait a second, that’s me! I’m having an out-of-body experience in a dream, this has to be a first. I can’t hear a word we’re saying but we look happy; and she looks great!_ Dream Oliver looks over his shoulder at Oliver, turns back to Felicity, says something and the dream ends. 

“WAIT”, Oliver yells as he opens his eyes and re-enters his horrible reality. He can still smell Felicity’s sweet perfume. “Felicity?” He tries to sit up but all of the pain immediately floods his system and he relaxes, trying to make it stop. _That was so surreal. I don’t know how long I was out but I better get a move on before they return._ Oliver summons all of his strength and will power and sits up. “This is going to be rough.” He grabs the pillow off of his cot and removes the pillow case. Closing his eyes, Oliver takes several deep breaths before standing and bracing himself against the wall. 

“I can do this!” Oliver is determined to get free. Using the wall as a brace, he gingerly walks towards the MRE’s. Opening one, he takes a bite. “I’ve smelled dog food that’s better than this.” He quickly finishes his meal; though it was disgusting, he needed it for strength. There was no telling what he’d encounter. He quickly scanned the room for anything he could use as a weapon. He doesn’t have the strength to break anything off of the torture devices but he spots an old wooden broom underneath one of them. Easing over to it, it takes a surprising amount of strength to break the handle but he’s able to do so. “Ok. Time to go home.” 

_This door is never locked, I check every night. Hopefully, that’s still the case._ Standing in front of the door, he grabs the handle, twists it and pushes the door open slowly. Peeking out, he sees a long, empty hallway that leads to a ladder at the other end. Grabbing his food and weapon, he begins the long walk to freedom. The hallway seemed to be the length of a football field, 100 yards, and Oliver had to take a break every 20 or so yards. There were several hallways that connect with the one he was currently in but his primary focus was the ladder that was dead ahead. Perhaps it was a mistake not to completely investigate his home away from home but his mission is clear; get out and get back home. 

Oliver finally reaches the ladder but he is too exhausted to make the climb. His clothes are completely drenched in sweat and his body is on fire. He takes a seat on the floor next to the ladder in order to rest and do a little replenishing with his MRE and canteen. Looking up, he can see what he believes to be sunlight streaming through the small window on the hatch door. _An underground bunker. Nobody would've ever found me._ The handle on the door seemed simple enough to operate. It shouldn't be any problem getting it open, provided that it isn't locked from the outside. An engine of some sort kicks on in a nearby room, drawing Oliver's attention away from the door. Against his better judgment, Oliver gets to his feet and goes to investigate the noise. 

He locates the room where the sound emanated from and gently cracks the door to peek inside. Satisfied that the coast is clear, he fully opens the door to find what looks like a chemistry lab. Computers, beakers, and flasks; this lab was fully stocked. Chemicals were being automatically mixed in some machine he didn't recognize. The back wall had cold storage lockers that you would find in a morgue. Each locker had a tag with some sort of codename on it. _Whatever is going on here, I've seen enough. Time to go._ He exits the lab and gingerly returns to the ladder to begin his ascent. 

What would normally take seconds; minutes go by as Oliver slowly climbs the ladder to the hatch. “If John Locke could do this and he was paralyzed at one point, then so can I.” Rung by rung, step by step, He inches slowly to his destination. Finally he reaches the door and uses every ounce of his remaining strength to push it open. The fresh scent of freedom gives him a boost of adrenaline and he springs forth from the bunker. The boost was short lived, however, and a huge wave of pain hits him, forcing him to his knees. 

Oliver gathers himself by closing his eyes and taking deep, slow breaths. Opening his eyes, Oliver takes in his new environment: the woods. It was a cloudy day and the wind was steadily getting stronger. Rain must be in the forecast and it would be terrible to be cold and wet. _I better find shelter but there’s no way I’m going back down there._ Immediately, he remembered the threat that was levied against Thea and Felicity. _Well, I’m not going back down there yet. I have to find a way to signal someone…anyone._ In the distance, he could hear the faint sound of water…waves perhaps. 

He heads in the direction of the sounds, trying to keep the horrible thoughts at bay. The trek was arduous, as the uneven ground made his muscles protest even louder than before. But he pressed on, a feeling of foreboding overtaking him. He stumbled quite a few times but surprisingly bounced right back to his feet. It was like there was a tractor beam pulling him in that direction. As the tree line gave way to the sand of the beach, Oliver dropped to his knees. _This cannot be. This simply can’t be real. This is a nightmare._ Recognizing the jagged, rocky façades of the neighboring islands Oliver knew that this was no nightmare. _I’m back._


	12. Keep Calm and Carry On?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver tries to come to grips with the fact that he's back on Lian Yu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are again with another chapter to read. This is the second Oliver POV chapter. The other characters will return in the next chapter and so without further adieu...
> 
> Recap: Oliver wakes up from his recovery nap and leaves the bunker where he finds out that he's being held captive on Lian Yu.

As the sun sets and darkness begins to overtake Lian Yu, Oliver sits on the beach at the edge of the tree line stunned. _I’m in Hell._ The waves crashing onto the shore were picking up in intensity as the wind continued to get stronger. The storm was beginning but Oliver could care less at the moment. He didn’t care about anything. Finding out that he was back on Lian Yu seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. All of the fight had left him. He was stripped of everything and all that was left was pain; physical and emotional. Tears were now streaming down his face for the first time in a long time. He thought he’d served his penance but it now seemed as if more was required of him; that this would be his final resting place. 

Slowly, he rises and begins to make his way back to the bunker. Defeat, a feeling he hasn’t had since the last time he was here, had replaced hope. Now he was content to go back to his room and await the inevitable outcome. The rain starts to come down and, combined with darkness, forces Oliver to look for cover nearby; finding the bunker will have to wait until morning. There’s a loud bang behind him and he turns just in time to see a tree falling in his direction. He dives out of the way at the last second as the tree lands at his feet. He just lies there on the wet ground, wincing from the pain. Everything seems so pointless now. It took a miracle for him to escape the first time and not too many people have two miracles happen in one lifetime. Maybe I should’ve just let the tree fall on me. 

Sitting up, he looks over the fallen tree. It was struck by lightning, leaving the base of it on fire. He quickly grabs a few branches and makes a torch, but he’ll need to find shelter quick or the torch will be useless. Moving as quickly as he can, he heads towards a rocky outcrop hoping for a cave or at least an area that can provide protection from the storm. He’s fortunate to find a cave that he can rest in. It isn’t very deep but it’s deep enough to get him out of the storm. This will be home for the night and he’ll head back to the bunker in the morning. Oliver sits down and reclines against the stone wall, completely exhausted. 

_If this is where it ends for me then what has it all meant? What have I accomplished? I’ve partied for most of my life. I’ve been a constant burden on my family and friends. Even when I change, I’m still a burden. My sister and friend end up in the hospital and my mom’s killed. If I were no longer here, would it matter to anyone? Sure, my friends and family would mourn but what about everybody else? Nope, because all they know of me is what they’ve seen in the tabloids. I’d just be that guy who had it all and threw it away partying._

Oliver closes his eyes and his mind wanders to thoughts of simpler times. He's 13 years old and is getting ready for a charity gala in his room when Moira comes in. _"Are you almost ready, Oliver?"_

_"Yes", he replies while fixing his tie. "Mom, why do we go to these things. I hate them."_

_Moira sits down on the edge of the bed and sits Oliver next to her. "I know these galas can be a bit...ostentatious." She looks at Oliver and sees his confusion. "Showy and flamboyant", she supplies. "But they do serve a purpose and that's to help those that are less fortunate than we are. You may not realize it but not everyone lives the way you do. Some people don't know where their next meal is coming from or can't get adequate medical care when they need it or have no place to live. We are fortunate in that we never have to worry about those things and so these galas, amongst other things, are a way for us to give back. Some people do it for the publicity or notoriety but we do it because it's the right thing to do. If you have the ability, you always help someone in need. Understand?"_

_Oliver nods his head 'yes'. "I still don't like going to these things and I probably never will but I understand why we must go."_

_"That's my boy", she says with a smile. "You look so handsome in your tux. Like a little Prince Charming!"_

_"You look great too, Mom!" Oliver gives her a hug before heading downstairs to meet Robert._

Oliver takes a deep, satisfying breath before getting lost in another memory. _“Anything that you wish that you could’ve done?”_

_“Besides keeping my father from leaving? Hmmm, I guess go to space camp.”_

_“Space camp, really?!” Oliver would’ve never guessed that one._

_“Is that judgement I’m hearing”, Felicity asks while chuckling._

_“No, it’s a combination of astonishment and admiration. I never would’ve guessed that, especially because of your fear of heights.”_

_Felicity smiles and tucks a loose hair strand behind her ear. “Well it’s not like we were actually going to go into space, Oliver.”_

_“Fair enough. So why didn’t you go?”_

_“Kind of hard to do when your mom is already struggling to make ends meet while working two jobs. She did the best she could and while it sucked not to be able to go, I understood why.”_

_“Well, I see two solutions for this. The first is that we build a time machine, go back in time and give you the money to go. I’m pretty sure Cisco would be thrilled especially since he’s always talking about Terminator and Back to the Future.” Felicity playfully shoves him in the shoulder. “Ok, ok. We can try option 2 which is to send you to an adult space camp.”_

_Felicity shakes her head, “No, that was a childhood dream and on top of that I don’t really have the time to do it now.”_

_“I think it’s a fantastic idea but if you really don’t want to…anyway, break’s over. Get back out there and finish your training.”_

_Felicity stands up from the patio table and starts in the direction of Lyla and Digg. “Thanks for the snack”, she says over her shoulder to Oliver._

_“No problem! No problem at all!”_

For the first time since he got here, he smiled. Oliver can feel his spirits pick up. _No, I have everything to live for. I need to do more with my life; be more than what I am. I don’t know exactly what I will do but I will do something. And I will not quit on those who have not quit on me. I will not die here; not now, not ever. At sunrise, it’s time to get back to work._


	13. Trying to deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap: Oliver struggled with the fact that he was back in Hell but eventually was able to accept it.

**8 Days Missing**

Frustration was abound. It had been 2 days since Felicity had visited Shado and formulated a plan to finally find out if it was really Oliver she had been talking to, but to no avail. She hasn't been able to connect with him since. It's not like those other couple of times she did were on purpose but it's been 2 whole days and she felt completely alone again. At least she had Thea to bond with but Thea was experiencing her own frustration and anger with having to bury a friend who had been like a sister to her. She had been especially quiet since the funeral, barely speaking to anyone. Felicity gave her space but let her know that she was around if she needed anything. 

John and Lyla were frustrated that Eric had managed to somehow elude all of the surveillance that they'd set up. Even though they knew the precise whereabouts of Malcolm Merlyn, Eric remained unfound. This, in turn, pushed Nyssa over the edge. Already reeling over the burial of her beloved, She flew to Europe to track him down. Frustration for the team was mitigated here because Rex had already headed over there to do the same thing, so it was just a matter of alerting him to be on the lookout for her. Of course he was real thrilled with this turn of events; more frustration! 

But now they were all back in Vegas, with Felicity and Thea standing outside of the door to Oliver's apartment. "This feels like the first night that I hung out with Oliver and Sara. I stood at my door for a long time trying to calm my nerves. Crazy, right? I had only just met him and I was in, what I thought was, a committed relationship. And yet there I was, feeling like a school girl going to hang out with the popular boy." They both began to giggle at the thought. "He didn't know that I knew who he was but I was pleasantly surprised that he wasn't anything like his reputation. But what really surprised me was how quickly I developed a crush on him despite all I'd seen and heard. I definitely didn't see that coming." 

Thea placed her hand on Felicity's shoulder, "Ollie had his faults...he still has some, but he was never like the guy the media portrayed him to be. He was always the big brother who read to me, sang to me, played with me, and looked out for me. I never knew that other guy so I'm pretty sure the guy you crushed on was the Ollie that I always knew." Thea turns and inserts the key into the lock, “Now, are you ready to go in?” 

“Nope”, Felicity responds quickly, popping the ‘p’. 

“Me neither”, Thea says as she opens the door. Neither were expecting the sight that greeted them but Felicity should’ve. His place had been turned over, obviously by the crews that were trying to figure out his location. “Clearly, people have been here looking for him because Ollie is surprisingly neat.” 

“I noticed that. He’s really domestic. It was a complete shock to me but I took advantage as much as I could. Your brother could really cook. He’d always credit Raisa and after having her cooking, I can see why.” 

“Raisa was a godsend. I didn’t appreciate her until that one unfortunate weekend when she was on vacation and Mom and Dad decided to cook for us.” Thea visibly shivers. Looking around the apartment they see that there were papers all over, drawers on the floor, clothes thrown about, and furniture overturned. Silently, they both began the process of cleaning up. Hours fly by with the women working wordlessly. Finishing up, tears started to flow from each of them. 

“You know, I keep expecting him to come bounding through that door any minute and sit his gym bag on the counter”, Felicity admitted. 

Thea lets out a snort. “Yea, he’d look around at the job we did. He wouldn’t complain that we didn’t clean up to his standards, he’d just go about trying to subtly pick up things as if we didn’t know what he was doing.” Her laughter turns into a full on cry. “I miss him so much! We have to get him back.” 

Felicity brings her in for a hug with tears of her own flowing. “We will. We just have to stay vigilant. We will find him. I promise.” They take a few moments to compose themselves before separating. 

“So…what do you have planned for this evening? I mean, it’s been a while since you’ve been home.” 

“Well, I’m having dinner with my mom and nana. You’re more than welcome to tag along.” 

“I don’t want to impose or anything.” 

“Trust me, you wouldn’t be imposing. Apparently, Oliver and my nana became best friends in the…7 hours that they were around each other. I’m quite certain she’d love to meet you and pump you for stories. Just a warning, my nana will say anything that comes to mind.” 

“Kinda like you?” 

“I do not…”

“You’re not completely unfiltered but I have a feeling that you will be in due time.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile over at the Diggle's, John and Lyla were settling back then but still have some unresolved issues between them. "Johnnie, you don't have to sleep in the guest room." 

"I do because I need some space to figure things out. I don't want to leave you and the baby so the guest room is the best option. Look, I know I played a big part in this by not letting Andy's death go or by even listening to you but what you did hurt beyond anything I could imagine. Thinking that the same people who got Andy got you too; thinking that I'd never see you again, no matter what I did, because I had no idea who was actually holding you or what they were doing to you..." But Digg doesn't finish his statement. He collects himself and continues, "I just need some time and space. We need to focus on making sure you and the baby are healthy and finding Oliver." 

Lyla clearly wasn't happy with this turn of events but, understanding John the way she does, she knows pushing him isn't the best idea. "Fine. I will give you your space but just know that everything I did, as difficult as it was, I did because I love you." 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standing across the street from Merlyn Global, Nyssa takes in all of the activity that is going on there. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. There doesn't seem to be an increase in security; in fact she's pretty sure she could enter the lobby without too much trouble. She doesn't, though, because she's being watched. Vengeance may be on her mind but it hasn't dulled her instincts, so she just patiently waits for something to happen. 

"I knew I'd find you here", a voice says from behind her. Something _always_ happens. Nyssa doesn't move an inch; she keeps up her surveillance. "Aren't you curious as to who you're talking to?" 

"Not really. I pretty much know who I'm speaking with", she says while observing the traffic patterns. 

"Is that so? Well...enlighten me." 

Nyssa offers an annoyed sigh before beginning. "You stated that you knew I'd be here, implying that you were looking for me. Eric would be the logical guess but you sound nothing like him and he wouldn't send somebody else to do his work for him so that leaves the person who told me where to look, Felicity Smoak. But you're not a woman, obviously, so I’m pretty sure she sent you which means she trusts you. And I’m betting that you gained her trust by giving her that list which makes you Rex.” 

“I have to admit, I’m impressed”, Rex admitted with a smirk. 

“I’m not here to impress you, now go away before you draw too much attention.” 

Rex chuckles at her statement. “I told Felicity that I’d look out for you and I did so I consider the job done. Good luck! Oh, and you know Eric isn’t here right?” 

“I do. And I also know that it’s highly unlikely that Oliver is here either.” 

“Call me curious but why are you staking out the place then?” 

Nyssa rolls her eyes. “Men. You’re terrible planners. _What if_ Oliver does happen to be there and _what if_ Eric does show up here…wouldn’t it be good to know what exactly I’m dealing with?” 

“Good point. Well while you’re doing that, I’m going to head over to the air field where they landed and have a look at the security footage. You can tag along if you want or stay here and keep up surveillance. If you do come, just know that I’m calling the shots.” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity was sitting on the couch in her mother's living room alone, lost in thought. Thea was in the kitchen helping Donna clean up after the wonderful dinner they just had; they ordered out. She missed visiting with her mom and nana while she was away but she couldn't keep thoughts of her last visit away. Even though they were on the run, having Oliver there with her just felt right. Now, there was an emptiness that prevented her from fully enjoying this reunion. His absence was felt by everyone there, though no one voiced it. 

"Are you alright, Sheyne?" Nana had emerged from the bathroom. "And before you answer that, know that it was a rhetorical question because I know you aren't." 

Felicity offered a small smile, "It's been tough. I'm just so worried for him. What is he feeling? What is happening to him?" She didn't want to say it so she said it quietly, "Is he still alive?" She leans back on the couch and runs her fingers through her hair. 

Nana joins Felicity on the couch and pulls her in for a side hug. "You'll find him, I know you will. I know that he believes you will too. Plus, if he's half as in love with you as you are with him then nothing will stop him from getting back to you." 

Felicity looks at her Nana with tears streaming down her face. "But what if I don't..." 

"Hush, child. I told that positive thinking leads to positive results. Don't fall victim to despair. You're the most capable person I know so I know that you'll do this but if you need some help, I can see what my network knows." 

Felicity looked at her Nana in surprise. "Network? Since when do you have a ‘network’?" 

"Sheyne", Nana responded while chuckling, "I have eyes and ears everywhere. Don't underestimate me because I'm getting on in years, I know a lot of people...connected people." Nana wiggled her eyebrows after the last statement. 

Felicity laughed a little, "I don't even want to open that can of worms." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Oliver was back in that damned torture room. He loitered on the coast line hoping to spot a passing ship, which he knew chances were slim, but no luck. And he couldn’t risk the safety of Felicity and Thea so he had to return. The only way off the island was through his captors and that was going to be tough considering that he’s in no condition to fight. Oliver is sitting on the wall with his head on his knees thinking hard about how he was going to get out of here. 

“Knock, knock!” Oliver looks up and sees his tormentor and returns to his previous position. “Well, it’s nice to see you too! So…did you have a nice tour of the island, though you only stayed on the beach. Were you hoping to be rescued again by some random fishermen?” Oliver looked up in shock, and then realization crossed his face. “That’s right. You think I would’ve left you here without some way of knowing what you were doing. We placed a tracker in you as we were bringing you here.” 

“Pretty smart bringing me to the one place that nobody would think I’d be.” 

Eric burst into laughter. “Clever? Yes. Smart? No. Smart would’ve been to just kill you but that isn’t my call.” 

“You’re just an errand boy, well let me tell you something. I’m going to get out of here but not before I take you and your ‘Master’ down.” 

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT!! Yes, there’s still some fight in you! And yes, I’m an errand boy but a well-compensated one.” The smile leaves Eric’s face, “I told you I wasn’t coming back alone and so without further ado, here’s my…’master’.” Eric steps aside and a man walks in. 

Oliver can’t believe what, or who, he’s seeing. He can barely speak; the only thing that escapes his mouth is, “Impossible.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yea, so sorry about the extended delay. I got sidetracked and had to put this off for a while. On the plus side, I came up with a new idea for a fic. Should be fun!


	14. Bygone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver's face to face. Nyssa and Rex begin a mission. Felicity and Thea continue to deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me Father for I have sinned. It has been 30 days since my last post...won't happen again. Time just got away. Anyway, on with the show.
> 
> Recap: Felicity and Thea return to Vegas where they clean Oliver's apartment. Lyla and John have it out once they returned home. Eric has returned to Lian Yu and brought along the brains behind the operation. When Rex met Nyssa.

**8 Days Missing**

People come in and out of your life daily. Some of them you end up keeping. Most of them are just passing through. Of the ones that you keep, some will be positive influences and the rest will be negative. The company you keep goes a long way in determining success. That’s an old adage people seem to ignore even though it’s true more often than not. Well when you’re rich like Oliver Queen, even more people come in and out of your life. That’s where good judgement needs to be exercised, something that Ollie struggled with mightily in his youth. He seemed to always be in with the wrong crowd, no matter how much his parents warned him. The arrogance of youth believes that they know it all without experience. And now Oliver is looking at someone from his past; a person whom he never thought he’d see again. 

“Hey, buddy! I’m back and better than ever”, he says with a big, bright smile. “Oh how I’ve missed you! We’ve got so much to catch up on! So what’s new?” 

“This is some kind of trick…some kind of sick and twisted joke.” Oliver was confused as to what he was seeing. There was no way that this was possible. “I have to be hallucinating or something because this doesn’t make sense.” Oliver looks at Eric, who is standing in the doorway with smirk on his face. 

“Ollie, do you think I’m some kind of ghost or hologram”, he asks as he kneels directly in front of Oliver, placing his hand on his forearm. “I assure you that this is all very real.” 

Oliver begins rubbing his face with both hands in frustration. “No, Tommy died. You’re not him. I went to his funeral. There’s no coming back from that.” 

Tommy sits next to Oliver against the wall and releases a big sigh. “I know it’s a lot to take in but whether you believe it or not, I am back. It’s been so difficult not to go out and have the biggest party. I mean, how many times can you actually throw a ‘Back from the dead’ party?” Tommy slaps Oliver on the back, “I know that you had one when you were rescued from here but I could tell your heart wasn’t into it. If I’d thrown it for you, it would’ve been the biggest bash in history.” Oliver sits in silence, still trying to process everything. “You know, I’ve been watching you from afar and, I gotta tell ya, I didn’t think that you could get any more selfish. All of the partying, the girls, the drugs and alcohol; all you cared about was yourself. It didn’t matter how difficult it was for Laurel or my dad or anyone else. Ollie was going to party! The best thing that happened to you was being stranded here the first time.” 

Oliver snaps out of his daze at this point. “What the hell are you talking about? I wasn’t partying the same as usual! That was me trying to escape a place where my best friend in the world, my brother, was dead and I was harboring all of this guilt! I don’t know who you are but I know who you’re not, and that’s Thomas Merlyn.” Oliver elbows Tommy in the face causing him to hit his head against the wall. His hands are around Tommy’s throat immediately and Eric pounces on him soon after, pinning him to the floor. 

Tommy slowly rises, rubbing the back of his head. He looks down at Oliver, not in anger, but with sadness. “What hurts the most is that you don’t believe it’s me…that you don’t believe in me. What I’m doing to you and will continue to do to you doesn’t come with any joy but you must be punished.” Oliver stops struggling with Eric and watches Tommy exit the room. 

Eric stands up and adjusts his clothing. “Mr. Queen”, he says as a goodbye and follows Tommy out of the door. Just outside, Tommy pulls him aside. 

“Make sure _Mr. Queen_ gets cleaned up, has a nice meal, and a good night’s rest. I want him in a better state when we begin again tomorrow. He won’t sleep on his own and I really do want him well rested so give him something and once he’s out, inject him with the serum.” Tommy starts to walk away before turning back, “Oh, and check on our other subject. I want to know how she’s progressing. I’ll be in the lab with the scientists if you need me.” 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“Thea, I’ve never seen someone as small as you put away so much food.” Thea, Felicity, and Nana were sitting in the living room barely watching tv. 

Felicity puts her face in her hands, “Nana, why must you constantly embarrass me in front of my friends?” 

Thea giggles at Felicity’s reaction. “It’s ok, she’s not the first person to say that and I really don’t mind.” Thea looks at Nana, “I may be small but this girl loves to eat. Wherever it’s going, I hope it keeps going there.” 

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I just never saw a woman eat more than you, ‘Sheyne’. She’s practically family anyway.” 

“Oh, I am”, Thea asks with a smirk. 

“You didn’t know? ‘Sheyne’ and your brother are practically engaged, especially after the Valentine’s Day they had together.” 

Felicity looked at her Nana, stunned. “How’d you know about that? I never told you.” 

“You didn’t have to”, she said shaking her head. “I knew about it before you did?” She turns and looks at Thea, “We talked every day, usually during his morning run. I made him promise not to tell her because, well…” and she gestures over at Felicity. Thea chuckles in response. 

“I can’t believe that you two talked every day and that he never told me.” 

“Well ‘Sheyne’, what’d you expect me to do. He was putting you in a situation that I knew was dangerous and I had to make sure he was taking good care of you, which he was. And when he told me what he had planned for you, let’s just say that you won’t have to go looking for venues for your wedding.” 

\---------------------------------------------

Nyssa and Rex sit in a parked car outside of the air field. It’s a private air strip and there doesn’t seem to be much traffic. “So, the way I see it is that we have two options. We can either go in and con them into letting us see the security footage or we wait and sneak in when they’re closed for the night.” 

“I could’ve sworn that you said you were calling the shots”, Nyssa says with a smirk, “and here you are asking me for input.” 

“No…I know what we’re going to do, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. And for the record, I’m leaning towards the first option even though it’s riskier.” 

“Well you can put your mind at ease because I agree with that choice. Time is of the essence and we need to take some risks. Do you have a plan?” 

“Always. Their surveillance is run by Blackhawk Security. All we need is some fake IDs and a little fast talking and we should be golden.” Rex reaches into the backseat and pulls out his laptop and camera. He snaps photos of himself and Nyssa and gets to work. Less than 5 minutes later, he shuts his laptop pops the trunk. “Alright, that should do it. Let’s go get our badges.” They both get out and head to the trunk where Rex has a wireless printer. 

“Not bad”, Nyssa comments. 

“Never leave home without it. And now the tricky part; we have to talk our way in without raising suspicion. So I figure, if it’s a guy then you do the talking and if it’s a lady then I will do the talking. Sound good?” 

Nyssa shakes her head in disbelief. “You’re just going to assume everyone is straight in your scenario. Even if that were to be true, given your line of thinking, I believe that I could talk my way past a straight woman better than you ever could. So no matter who is in there, I better do the talking. You just back me up.” Nyssa grabs her ID from Rex and heads towards the office, leaving him with his thoughts. Rex snaps out of it, grabs his laptop bag, and runs to catch up with Nyssa. 

\-------------------------------------------

Felicity and Thea have returned home for the evening when they are greeted by Cooper Seldon outside of her apartment. The bile immediately begins to rise in her throat as he approaches them. “Hello, Felicity.” 

“Cooper.” 

“How’ve you been?” 

“What do you want, Cooper?” Her phone begins to ring and she sees that it’s a call from Nyssa. She hands it to Thea so she could answer. 

“I came to talk. Can we talk”, he looks at Thea and then back at Felicity, “somewhere private?” 

“I don’t feel like talking right now, especially to you. I said all I had to say to your girlfriend at the hospital.” Felicity was starting to see red when Thea gently touched her on the shoulder. She looks at Thea who motions her to come inside. “Look, Cooper, I have to go. I would say that it was nice seeing you but we both know that would be a lie.” 

“Felicity, I know you don’t want to see me but it’s really important that we talk. Call me tomorrow, and again I can’t stress how important this is.” Cooper heads down the steps to his car and the girls head inside. 

“What was that all about”, Thea asks as they toe off their shoes. 

“I don’t know but whatever it is, I don’t like it. Anyway, what did Nyssa say?” What could Cooper have wanted? He knew that she would be less than receptive to his invitation and yet he did it anyway. Something is fishy. The call from Nyssa had become a welcome distraction. 

“She said that she met up with Rex, whom she doesn’t like very much, and they went to the private airfield that Malcolm’s plane landed at. They got a look at the security footage and found something. She sent it to you.” 


	15. Pieces of the puzzle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyssa and Rex, with Felicity's aid, continue their mission at the air field.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much a Nyssa and Rex chapter with a little Felicity. It was going to be longer but then I figured that it may get a little unwieldy so I cut it short. Enjoy!
> 
> Recap: Tommy Merlyn is revealed to be behind this plot but Oliver refuses to believe it's him.

**8 Days Missing - continued**

Nyssa marched right over the main desk. The attendant, who looked to be a 20-something year old male, addressed her as Rex was entering. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Antonio, how may I be of service?” 

“Greetings, Antonio! I’m Regina Phalanges and this is my partner, Ken Adams. We’re with Blackhawk Security and we’re here to check out some glitches that we’ve been receiving from your surveillance system.” Both Nyssa and Rex show their identification to Antonio. 

“Ok. Everything looks in order but nobody has mentioned to me, Mrs.” 

“Ms.”, Nyssa cuts him off which brings a sly smile to his face. 

“As I was saying, Ms., nobody mentioned anything about technicians coming to look at our system and I haven’t noticed anything wrong with our system.” 

“Well you wouldn’t notice anything on your end”, Nyssa responds with a smile. “It’s more in the upload so we need to check the connections and compression.” 

“Do you have a work order?” Nyssa looks at Rex who makes a show of fumbling through his bag, pretending to have lost the order. 

“I don’t know what happened, I just had it before we came in”, Rex adds while fruitlessly searching. 

“My apologies. He’s new.” 

“It’s quite alright, I believe you. I guess you just have one of those faces.” Antonio takes the opportunity to look Nyssa up and down quickly. “If you go down that hall and through the door at the end, it will be the second door on the right.” 

“Thank you!” Nyssa and Rex start to head towards the door before Antonio stops Nyssa. 

Rex keeps walking but overhears, “Now that I’ve helped you, maybe you can help me”, as he’s walking through the first door. 

Rex has been in there working for 10 minutes before Nyssa comes in. He chuckles and shakes his head, “Took you long enough.” 

“Well I did have to keep up appearances. I couldn’t just run away.” 

“Are you sure you were only keeping up appearances”, he asks with a teasing smirk. 

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. Now, this line of questioning can continue later. Where are we?” 

“It’s actually easier than I had anticipated since they have cameras everywhere. I easily tracked our boy from Merlin’s jet to another in a different hangar.” 

“Who are those people he’s meeting?” 

“I’ve been trying to figure that out. No luck so far.” 

“I’d wager that Felicity could figure it out pretty quick. Send that video to her and I’ll call and let her know what we came up with. We need to get out of here, something doesn’t feel right.” Rex downloads the video and sends it to Felicity as Nyssa calls her. 

\----------------------------------------------------

Felicity opens her tablet and views the video file that was sent while Thea looks over her shoulder. “Aha! We found you, now where are you going? Well, we have the plane number.” 

“Is that important” Thea asks. 

“Yes, because with that I can hack into the aviation database and find out where they were headed. Every time a plane takes off, its route has to be recorded. This makes tracking missing planes easier.” Felicity’s fingers begin to work their magic as she hacks into several databases. “This makes me an international criminal…something that I can’t add to my resume, sadly. Aaaaaaand here we go. They flew to…Tibet. Tibet?” 

“What’s in Tibet?” 

“I don’t know but they flew to a small airfield in Nanda Parbat.” Felicity emails Nyssa the location and begins to work on the second mystery. “Now to figure out who these mysterious gentlemen are.” Her fingers work more magic, tapping into her face-recognition software and having her query answered. “It appears that our mysterious guests are all scientists. I’ve never heard of these two but this one…Harrison Wells…sounds real familiar.” Her eyes widen with realization. “He’s the owner of STAR Labs in Central City where my friends, Caitlyn and Cisco, work.” 

“Central City? Cisco? That guy who builds stuff for my brother? He hit on me once. Ollie didn’t like it and it never happened again.” 

“I’ll bet”, Felicity responds as she tries to connect with either Cisco or Caitlyn. “Frack! Neither of them are picking up. We may need to go to Central City.” 

“Are you serious?” 

“Very. These are the same people who have Oliver, we don’t know if they’re ok or not.” 

“That’s a pretty long drive to make in the middle of the night.” 

“I know, so let’s hope that nothing’s wrong. I’ll try a few more times but just be ready to pick up and go.” Felicity’s phone begins to ring and she sees that it’s Nyssa so she puts it on speaker. 

“Hi, Nyssa. Is everything ok? Did you guys get out?” 

**“Felicity, are you certain that they went to Nanda Parbat?”**

“Yea. Seems like a strange place to go, I know, but why?” 

They hear Nyssa sigh on the other end. **“It could be a coincidence but I doubt it. This could get real bad, real fast.”**

“Nyssa, what’s in Nanda Parbat?” 

**“It’s not so much what, but whom. It's my sister; Talia. And I pray to whatever God you follow that she's not involved.”**


	16. Ghuls and Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyssa opens up to Rex as they fly to Nanda Parbat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better late than never.

**8 Days Missing**

Nyssa stood just outside of her private jet, staring at the tarmac, as the crew prepared for takeoff. Memories of a sister, and guilt, washing over her like the steady breeze that was blowing. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Rex headed towards the plane carrying coffee just as the plane engines start. Nyssa turns and climbs the stairs to board, all the while dreading the reunion that has been 10 years in the making. Taking her seat, she begins to chew her bottom lip. Her father would admonish her for this bad habit, as he always has. Talia has no idea they’re coming but their father does. He was none too pleased about this news. Ra’s was never a man to wear his emotions on his sleeve but Nyssa knew that he was hurting from the split all of those years ago. 

If Nyssa was apprehensive about the journey ahead, Rex was downright giddy. He almost spilled the coffee as he came bounding up the stairs. “This just keeps getting better and better! I’d heard tales of Nanda Parbat but I never thought I’d actually get to go! And you have a sister…is she pretty? Is she single? Do I have a chance?” Rex was practically hopping from foot to foot like he was on a massive sugar rush. 

“Ok, I don’t think you’ll be needing this for a while”, Nyssa says as she grabs the cup of coffee from his hands. 

“That’s ok. I got that for you. You seemed a bit down and the coffee in this country is fantastic. Much better than the crap we have at home.” Rex takes a seat across from her. He leans forward, with his elbows on his knees. “So…what are we headed into? I mean, clearly you’re not too happy about this and I refuse to go in there blind.” 

Nyssa turns and looks out of the window. “It’s…complicated.” 

The fasten seatbelts light comes on. Rex sits back in his seat and buckles in with a smirk. “Well, uncomplicated it. We’ve got some time.” The plane begins to move towards the runway and they sat in silence as the plane took off. Rex was beginning to believe that Nyssa wasn’t going to talk about it. 

“Talia and I…we were sisters but, in a lot of ways, we were closer than that”, she began. “I never knew my mother, just like she never knew hers. I guess it was the price to pay for being the daughters of Ra’s Al Ghul. She was the example in my life; I looked to her for guidance and assurance. It’s difficult for men to raise women alone. You all aren’t the nurturers that we are. Growing up in this life, you meet a lot of unsavory people. 

Talia always looked out for me. She’s only 8 years older but she seemed so much wiser growing up. She was definitely the apple of Father’s eye. I was the hell raiser, getting into all manner of trouble in school which earned me a trip to boarding school. Not her, though. She was the example; very intelligent and very beautiful. I was a tomboy, more interested in learning to fight than learning about the world. Father tried to get me to be more like Talia, but to no avail. She’d always defend me to him and I very much appreciated it.” 

“So your father is old-fashioned; he believes in gender roles”, Rex asked. 

“Not exactly. He does believe that there’s a way that women should carry themselves as opposed to men but he wasn’t opposed to us being well rounded. He wanted us to be well educated and able to handle weapons. After all, that was his line of work and he wanted us involved as much as possible. He just wanted me to be more like Talia, who did everything he asked of her. Talia recognized how different we were but he could not. 

But all wasn’t well between them. Talia was a true student of the history of our organization and would repeatedly question him on the direction that he was taking it. If there’s one thing you do not do, that’s question Ra’s Al Ghul. She hated that we were taking contracts from civilians and governments; believing that wasn’t the best way to achieve balance, she wanted us to take a more broad approach of examining the way the world was going and intercede where necessary. There were many nights where they argued bitterly over this. 

The other issue was her many suitors. She is a world class beauty and men threw themselves at her. Father hated this. He didn’t approve of any of them, never feeling that they were worthy of a woman such as her. He had her guarded 24/7 and decreed that no man was to speak to her without speaking to him first. Of course, some men didn’t understand this and ended up in the hospital for their disrespect.” Rex shifted uncomfortably in his seat causing Nyssa to smirk. “As their relationship deteriorated, ours got better. I took my studies more seriously and started to mature. But my relationship with Talia remained as strong as ever. She was the first person I came out to and, much to my relief, she didn’t judge me for it. She loved me all the same.” 

“Umm, your sister sounds great. Your father, not so much.” Rex was puzzled. “I can understand why she wouldn’t want to see him but I can’t understand what the problem would be between you two.” 

“Well if you wouldn’t interrupt, I could explain”, Nyssa admonished. “One night, they had their biggest fight. I’m not exactly sure what it was about but I knew it was over a suitor. All I could gather from the yelling was that Father thought he was worthy and Talia really liked him but something went wrong. They were blaming each other when Talia had had enough and drew her sword.” 

“I imagine that didn’t go over so well”, Rex interjected. 

Nyssa raised her eyebrows in agreement. “Next thing I know, Talia’s in my room and hysterically telling me that she’s leaving. She wanted me to go with her. I didn’t know what to do. I felt that I still had so much to learn from him, our relationship was getting better, and I knew that if both of us left then there was no telling what he would do. If I stayed, at least that would allow her to get away and I could be a distraction. But I really loved her. She was my best friend who’d been there for me when I needed someone. I wanted to be there for her too.” 

“So, you stayed.” 

Nyssa wipes a tear from her eye. “In the League, we’re taught to make emotionless decisions. Emotions, more often than not, led to bad decisions because they clouded the mind from logic and reason. I told her that I couldn’t leave and wanted to take it back the minute I said it. She looked at me with shock and betrayal. She left without saying anything else and has been gone ever since. Father has never told me the specifics of their argument and I’ve never asked. He’d never admit this but a piece of him died that night. He never speaks of her and broods whenever she’s brought up. But I’ve caught him staring at pictures of her. I know he regrets it but, of course, he was angry when I told him where we were going. It’s been 10 years; it’s time to heal old wounds.” 

\-------------------------------------------

Felicity was continuing to try and locate where the plane had gone after Nanda Parbat. Suddenly, everything was black and she got a familiar feeling. “OLIVER?!!!” _Something isn’t right. I feel woozy and I can barely sense his presence_. Felicity looked around feverishly but couldn’t find him. Oliver appeared in front of her suddenly, causing her to stumble backwards; he disappeared just as fast. “Oliver?”

He appears behind her. “Fe___y! I’m on _____ __. Th__ was __rchist__ted by _____. You have to”, and just like that she was back staring at her computer screen. She could no longer feel a connection to Oliver and her frustration was mounting. 

“Damn it!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But who was the suitor?


	17. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyssa comes face-to-face with Talia as Felicity, Digg, and Thea continue to try and locate Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Giddyup!

**9 Days Missing**

“I came as soon as I got your message. What’s going on, Thea?” Digg enters Oliver’s apartment at 10:30 am. Instinctively he starts to look around for any signs of trouble, only finding empty cans of Red Bull strewn about. 

“Thank God you’re here. You have to do something. She’s been going all night; she won’t sleep or eat. She’s just been mumbling something about lost signals. Something set her off yesterday because she’s barely stopped working for 15 hours.” The message Thea left was frantic and John cursed himself for having his ringer off last night and sleeping in this morning. 

He breathes a sigh of relief that it wasn’t anything worse. “Where is she?” 

“She went to go get something from her apartment...or do something. I don’t know honestly but she’s across the hall.” 

“Ok, do me a favor and put on some coffee, decaf though. Looks like she has more than enough caffeine”, he says taking one more glance around the apartment. “I’ll go and see if I can find out what this is all about.” Diggle returned a few minutes later carrying Felicity, who was fighting to get down. 

“Put me down, John!” 

“I am”, he says as he places her on the couch. “Felicity, you weren’t listening to me. You were just running around babbling to yourself. 

“I need to find him. We’re running out of time!” 

“I need you to calm down and tell me what happened.” Thea brings in a cup of coffee and hands it to Felicity. She takes a deep breath before taking a sip. 

“I’m going to need some cream and sugar with this”, she says smirking at Thea who heads back into the kitchen. 

“Now that I have your attention, tell me what’s going on.” 

“It all started when Thea and I went to visit a friend of Oliver. She showed us a technique that allowed us to…connect to him no matter where he was in the world. This is how we knew he was still alive.” John remained stone faced as she went on. “Well, somehow I was able to establish a deeper connection that allowed me to talk to him but it wasn’t exactly him it was his subconscious so it was impossible to control the direction of the conversation.” 

“Felicity? Breathe.” 

“Sorry. Anyway, I hadn’t been able to reconnect with him at all until yesterday. But it was weird. It was like the connection was bad. He was trying to tell me something but I couldn’t hear everything. Also, I felt like I was drugged or something and then I completely lost it. I can’t feel his presence any longer. What if he’s…”

“Hey, I’m sure he’s fine. You said you felt drugged, well maybe that was what happened to him. We’ll find him but you won’t be any good to anybody if you pass out from exhaustion. Now, what do we know?” 

“We know that the plane that he was on passed through Nanda Parbat.” 

“Nanda Parbat?” Digg had the look of recognition on his face. 

“You’ve heard of it before”, Thea asked, “because I sure haven’t.” 

“Yea, a few of the locals mentioned it when I was serving in Afghanistan. You know, urban legend type stuff.” 

“Well I don’t know much about the legends”, Felicity began, “but Nyssa and Rex are on their way there now. They should be there by now. Apparently, Nyssa’s sister lives there.” 

\--------------------------------------------

**“We’re now approaching Nanda Parbat”** , the pilot announced over the intercom. **“We’re being hailed but I’m not sure how to respond.”**

Nyssa gets up from her seat and heads into the cockpit. She grabs a headset and speaks, “I am Nyssa Al Ghul, daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul. I am here to see my sister Talia.” There was a long silence on the other end. 

After what seemed like hours, they got the response they were looking for. **“You are cleared to land.”** The pilot begins to circle around to make his approach. Landing here will prove to be difficult as the runway doesn’t have any of the necessary instruments modern planes use. He’ll have you eyeball it, which is made even more difficult because of the wind gusts that are swirling. Nyssa and Rex buckle in and brace for a rough landing. 

The plane took turns accelerating and decelerating as it made its descent; the swirling winds rocking it back and forth like a canoe on a stormy sea. You have to be an expert pilot to attempt this landing and lucky for them, they had one of the very best. Not that it made them feel relaxed in that moment. “Nyssa, I need to make a confession in case we don’t make it.” She doesn’t say a word so Rex continues. “I just wanted to tell you that…I wish circumstances were different because I’m really, really attracted to you…and I’ve been staring at your butt, a lot!” Nyssa just shakes her head. For all of the trouble in the descent, the plane lands without incident. 

The plane rolls to a stop at the end of the runway. They both rise to their feet to collect their things. “Hey, about what I said earlier…” Nyssa cuts him off by pressing up on her toes and giving him a kiss on the cheek. 

“You’re sweet. Childish, but sweet.” 

As Nyssa and Rex prepared to disembark, Rex gets a peak out of the window. “Uh, Nyssa? You may want to see this.” She crosses over to the nearest window to get a look. There were 20, traditionally dressed, League warriors waiting for them at attention. “Do you think it’s safe? I mean, you don’t think Talia means to kill us the minute we step off of this plan do you?” 

“Wait here, I shall find out.” Rex looks at Nyssa in surprise. “If she means to take my life, then she takes my life. But someone has to continue to try and find Oliver.” 

“You shouldn’t go out there without backup.” 

“This isn’t up for debate. Plus, we’d both end up dead. No, you need to stay here and take off at the first sign of trouble.” Nyssa opens the plane door and steps down on to the ground. She makes her way over to the warriors as one of them walks towards her. As they meet, neither say a word but the warrior kneels in deference. The other 19 also kneel. 

“Mistress Nyssa. I am Sarab. Mistress Talia awaits you in the Great Hall. Your travelling companions must wait on the plane unless they’re League members.” 

Nyssa shakes her head ‘no’. “Rise Sarab and take me to my sister.” She turns and nods towards the plane to say that everything is ok before she departs with Sarab and the rest of the League. The fortress is built into the face of the mountain and isn’t without its charm. The view is strangely beautiful and peaceful but she isn’t sure if she could live in this isolation after loving the trappings of Western life. 

The halls are illuminated with candles and torches and is a lot warmer than she expected; the building seems to be set up as sort of a labyrinth. After numerous turns, Nyssa is having difficulty remembering the way back. Finally, they reach the Great Hall which Nyssa assumes is in the center of the structure. Standing in the center of the room is Talia with 2 other warriors flanking her. Sarab bows to Talia and leaves Nyssa by herself. After a few moments, Talia slightly turns to one of her guards and whispers something. The guards bow and head towards the doors on either side of Talia. Now, it was just the 2 of them and Nyssa’s pulse was climbing. Neither of them moved a muscle or said a word until Talia slowly drew her sword. Talia methodically marched towards Nyssa, her face was unreadable. Nyssa frantically tried to remember the way out just case she had to strike and run. She was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of Talia laying her sword on the ground and embracing her. 

“I’ve missed you dear sister”, Talia says during the embrace. Nyssa releases the breath that she’d been holding and returns the embrace, overcome with emotion. They stood like that for minutes, sobbing 10 years of grief and regret into each other. They composed themselves and took a step back to get a good look at each other. “You’re looking well, Nyssa. I always knew you’d turn out to be a great beauty!” 

“I see this life certainly hasn’t disagreed with you”, Nyssa responds with a smile. 

“It takes some getting used to but now it feels like I’ve always lived like this. Come sister, you must tell me everything that’s happened; for I have a lot to tell you!” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

“There’s one thing that’s really been bothering me about this”, Felicity declares while searching on her tablet. 

“One thing”, Thea asks with incredulity which causes Diggle to choke on his coffee. 

“Yea, why did they go to Nanda Parbat? There’s any number of off the grid places that smugglers use that are easier to get in and out of. So why there?” 

“Maybe they already had a deal in place there”, Diggle supplies. 

“It’s possible but it’s so risky. Landing in the mountains at this time of year, I don’t know, it just seems like a huge gamble after pulling something like this off.” 

“What if they were picking somebody up? Or they could’ve been picking something up. Who knows? I just want to know where they went so I can get my brother back.” Thea’s frustrations were starting to peak through and Digg goes into the kitchen to get her a fresh cup of joe. 

“I’m frustrated too, Thea. The thing that’s really frustrating me is the fact that they literally could’ve gone anywhere from there.” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

Nyssa told Talia everything; why she didn’t come with her, meeting and falling for Sara, Sara’s League induction against Father’s better judgement, to the whole situation with Oliver and Sara’s death. “I’m truly sorry for the loss of your love, Nyssa. Had I known, none of them would’ve left here alive.” 

“Thank you for your sympathy but I will have my revenge.” 

“Then let’s take it together!” This brought a smile to Nyssa’s face. They’d never had the chance to fight side by side and just the thought of it filled her with such confidence. 

“Do you know where they are now?” 

“Currently? No.” 

“But you know where they went from here.” 

“Of course! They flew to Qingdao. I bugged them just in case I needed to find them. Good thing I did.” 

“You were always the smart one. There is one other thing that I wanted to know.” Talia already knew what her question was. 

“What happened that night? I was being courted by none other than Bruce Wayne of Gotham.” Nyssa was stunned by this revelation. Bruce Wayne was as close to an American Prince as there could be and yet she had no idea that he was courting Talia. “He was the only man that Father thought was worthy of me. He also wanted Bruce to be a part of the League so we went out on a date. He’s very different than his public persona. He’s much more measured and worldly than even I had anticipated. Sparks flew instantly and we ended up sharing a bed. Of course, Father was none too pleased; especially after Bruce turned him down flatly. Bruce told me that he couldn’t be with somebody who was in this line of work, no matter how much he wanted to. That led to the fight with Father. I’m sorry that I dragged you into it. That wasn’t fair of me.” 

“Already forgotten. So have you seen him lately?” 

That question brought a huge smile to Talia’s face. “Every day!” She rings a bell and one of her guards enter. “Bring him to the Great Hall please.” The guard runs away and Talia turns back to Nyssa. 

“He’s here? I certainly didn’t expect that. While we wait, can you send one of your guards out to the plane with the location you told me?” 

“Of course!” Talia summons Sarab and relays the information to him. He runs off to deliver the message. A few moments later, the first guard returns but without Bruce. Instead he’s being followed by a little boy. “Come here my son. I want to introduce you to your Aunt Nyssa. Nyssa, this is Damian. He’s Bruce and my son.” 

“Pleased to meet you, Aunt Nyssa.” Nyssa was stunned into silence. 

Back on the plane, Rex is pacing back and forth in the cabin. He had half a mind to storm in there and make sure she’s safe. A knock on the door stopped his pacing and he quickly walked over and opened it. 

“My apologies. My name is Sarab and Mistress Nyssa wanted me to deliver a message to you. She wants you to know that the plane went to Qingdao.” Sarab turns around and walks back towards the temple as fast as he came. 

_Better alert Felicity about this._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Felicity was still running searches and brainstorming with Digg and Thea when her phone chimed. Picking it up, she did a fist pump when she read the message. “It’s a message from Rex. He says they found out that the plane went to Qingdao.” She did a quick search on the city. 

“Sounds Asian or something”, Diggle responded before he got a look at Felicity’s face. “What’s wrong?” 

She was completely wide-eyed and a smile slowly started to form. “It’s in China. Oh my God you guys, I know where he is!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oliver returns next chapter.


	18. Rounding up the Cavalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the team tries to figure out the best way to get to Oliver. Tommy makes a revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and thank you for the kudos and comments. They're always appreciated.
> 
> Recap: Felicity figures out where Oliver is based on Nyssa's intel. Nyssa has a family reunion of sorts.

**9 Days Missing**

Thea, John, and Lyla were sitting in Oliver’s living room trying to hatch a rescue plan. Lyla arrived 30 minutes earlier after John informed her that Felicity figured out where Oliver was being held, thanks to Nyssa. Felicity was on the phone in the bedroom speaking with Cooper, begrudgingly. Lyla had stayed home earlier because she wasn’t feeling well, but she wanted to see this through so when she got the call she was on the move. Cisco and Barry were teleconferenced in on Felicity’s tablet. They’d been going back and forth over the best option but there was no consensus by the time Felicity emerged from the bedroom. 

“Is everything ok, Felicity”, Thea asked as she noticed Felicity worrying her bottom lip. 

Thea’s question seemed to snap her out of her thoughts. “Everything’s good…so, where are we” she asked as she schooled her expression. 

“Thea wants to take the Queen personal jet and go get him”, John supplied. “That could be an issue if they’re watching for us. It’s not like it’s difficult to find out the flight number and track it.” 

“So we don’t fly directly there. We fly to Japan or something and take a boat to the island.” Felicity had to admit that Thea’s adjustment didn’t sound too bad. 

“It won’t matter, Thea. Flying anywhere in that region could be a tip off. I could try and get us transport through ARGUS. 

“But Lyla, They likely know your involvement and your ties to ARGUS”, Felicity reasoned. “They may be looking for ARGUS planes as well.” 

“Plus, there a matter of intel on what exactly we’re walking in to. It’s not like we have an army to take over the island.” 

“That’s why I’ve been trying to get Cisco to give me back the drones, Digg.” 

**“I said you can have them back, Felicity. Oliver paid for them already. I just said that flying them in another countries airspace will cause an international incident. But that still doesn’t solve the problem of getting you guys there undetected.”**

Felicity thought for a moment. “I think that Nyssa may be our best bet.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Nyssa stared down at the pair of eyes that were looking up at her. They weren’t just any pair of eyes, they belonged to her nephew; the progeny of her sister and the “Crowned Prince of Gotham”, Bruce Wayne. So many questions swirled in her head but all she could get out was, “How old?” 

Talia started to chuckle as Damian responded. “I’m 9 years old, ma’am.” 

The formality in Damian’s response seemed to slap some sense back into her. “I apologize, Damian. I was not expecting to meet my nephew for the first time when I arrived. You do not need to call me ma’am; Aunt Nyssa or Nyssa is fine”, she says with a smile before turning to Talia. “So, he’s 9. That means that one night with Bruce…” Talia nodded before she could finish her thought. 

“One night is all it takes, and that night was special. Damian, it’s time for you training.” 

“Yes, mother.” Damian bows to them both before taking his leave with his escort. 

“Does he know about Damian? I mean, have you told him? Does Father know?” 

“No, I haven’t told anyone. You’re the first person outside of this place to know about him.” Nyssa felt honored to be the first. “I don’t want anyone else to know about him, not yet. I will eventually tell Bruce but not today.” 

“I understand. But I think Father would be happy to know that he has a grandson. You should at least talk to him. It’s been far too long.” 

“Perhaps once this is all over, I will talk to him. But for now, I’m more interested in helping you.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------

“Wakey, wakey Ollie!” Slowly, Oliver starts to come to. He realizes that his hands are tied above his head and he’s shirtless. The room starts to come into focus and standing directly in front of him, with a shit-eating grin, is Tommy Merlin. Or someone pretending to be Tommy because the actual Tommy, his best friend since they were 4, is dead. “Hey Eric, sleeping beauty is finally waking up. No need for that kiss after all! Though I know there’s one set of lips you wish you were waking up to. Don’t worry, she’ll be well taken care of after you’re gone. I’ll see to it personally”, he says with menace before plastering that shit-eating grin back on his face. 

“This is exactly how I know you’re not Tommy. Tommy had a certain…charm to him. You, you try and imitate it and it comes off phony. So you can stand there and put on your best impression but you’re not him and you’ll never be him. In fact, I’ve decided that is how I will refer to you; Not Tommy.” Looking around, Oliver can see there are 2 armed guards in the room with them. That’s new. “So let me ask you, Not Tommy, what kind of a person goes around pretending to be someone he’s not to people who actually knew the person? Whoever does that has to be a truly pathetic individual with a life so sad and lonely that pretending to be anyone else… **anyone** , is an upgrade.” 

Oliver knew he was laying it on thick but it was his one true way of finding out if this person was indeed Tommy Merlin. Tommy would just laugh it off, remembering that it was the way that he and Ollie would undermine people in positions of authority. A little sick game they would play to see which one of them could get a rise out of their tormentor the fastest. It was a game that the silver-tongued Tommy usually won. His gambit paid off; for a brief second, there was a flash of anger on Tommy’s face. It happened so fast that if he wasn’t looking for it, he never would’ve caught it. But there it was, until it disappeared back behind the façade. 

“Have you ever heard of the Lazarus Pit, Ollie? Of course you have, we both heard about it in high school from those escorts in Thailand.” 

“It’s just an urban legend, Not Tommy.” Oliver started to second guess himself. Neither he nor Tommy told anyone about that trip and especially about those strange escorts. 

“Oh?” Tommy motions towards the door and Eric brings to him a flask full of liquid and a caged mouse. “Ollie, old friend, there’s so much in this world that you don’t understand. Watch closely.” Tommy removed the mouse from its cage and Eric handed him a syringe. “Arsenic, in case you were wondering.” He plunged the syringe into the mouse and then placed it back in its cage. It was dead within minutes. “As you can see, Mickey is clearly dead”, he says as he shakes the cage. 

Next, he takes the mouse out of its cage and submerges it in the liquid for a few seconds before replacing it in its cage. “Well, guess I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.” Everyone leaves the room and Oliver is left all alone with a dead mouse. 

“I guess it’s just you and me now, Mickey.” Just then, the mouse’s leg starts to twitch. Slowly, it comes to life and flips over. “Holy shit!” 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Rex is standing next to the plane on the tarmac when his phone rings. “Go.” 

**“Rex, it’s Felicity. How are things going?”**

“I’m guessing well. I’m not dead, not sure about Nyssa but I assume she’s safe since I’m alive.” 

**“Guessing? What do you mean, aren’t you with her?”**

“I’m with her in as much as we’re in the same location but I’m not next to her at the moment. I’m currently standing next to her plane and she’s inside the scariest place on Earth, visiting her sister. I wasn’t allowed in since I don’t have a membership.” 

**“Ah, I see. Could you get a message to her if needed or maybe get her to come out so that I may speak with her?”**

“I suppose so. There are a couple of assassins nearby. I’ll see if one of them would be kind enough to fetch her for us. I’ll call you back.” Rex hangs up and heads towards the group of men. “Hey, I hate to interrupt what’s going on in there between Nyssa and her sister but could one of you go and tell her that she has an important phone call that she needs to take immediately?” 

Sarab sends off one of the men on his errand and 10 minutes later, Nyssa emerges along with Talia and her personal guard. Rex dials Felicity back to relay the news. “Ok, here she comes along with her sister and more ninjas.” Nyssa and Talia finally arrive and Rex looks like he’s seen a ghost. 

“Rex, there’s a phone call for me?” 

“…” All he could do is stare at Talia. 

“Rex?” 

“Yea, umm, sorry. Felicity needed to speak to you”, he says as he hands her the phone. 

“Hello Felicity, is something wrong?” 

**“Hey Nyssa, sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if your sister has her own plane because we’re concerned that Oliver’s captors will be tracking our planes. So I was thinking that they would have no idea about her plane and we could get there undetected.”**

“I will ask her.” Nyssa takes the phone off of her ear and turns to Talia, “Do you have a plane we can use?” 

“Of course”, Talia responds with a smile. 

Nyssa gets back on the phone with Felicity, “So…what’s the plan?” 


	19. Best Laid Plans...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ummm...I'm sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see. What should I write here? Well, I'm supposed to be preparing for an interview but I wrote this instead. Kudos and comments are always appreciated and encouraged.

**10 Days Missing**

It hadn’t even been 2 weeks, and yet it felt like an eternity. Oliver had been taken 10 days ago, and now here she was just moments from being reunited with him. Things hadn’t gone to plan; she was currently feeling her way down a long, dark corridor that was filled with smoke. Felicity had gotten separated from her team when they were ambushed. Explosions rocked the bunker, killing the lights and filling it with smoke. There was also the part where she inadvertently turned directly into a flash bang grenade, so even if the conditions were perfect it’d be difficult for her to see. She made sure to stay low, knowing that smoke rises plus the fact that she didn’t know where the random gunfire was coming from. 

She knows that Oliver wouldn’t approve of her putting herself in harm’s way for him, but he also knows that it’s her life and her choice. He’d do the same for her. In fact, he had done the same. It’s how he ended up with a door on top of him and retrograde amnesia. And besides, she’s had _some_ training plus she’s heading away from the explosions and gunfire…she thinks. With that being said, this was still scary and dangerous. Seems like the hall is filled with the Black Smoke Monster except without the cool sound effects.

Occasionally her comms would spark back to life, allowing her to hear that her friends were still alive and fighting. They’d done recon on the island but were still unprepared. The sudden storm and mercenary army that provided reinforcements took a bad situation to the absolute worst. But here she was, crawling down this hallway heading towards god know what. Hopefully, Oliver is in this direction but at least she can now tell that she’s heading away from the gunfire. Felicity finally got to a point in the hall where the smoke was far less thick and she could see a little. Using the flashlight app on her phone, she was able to navigate her way to a room. Somehow, this room seemed to be darker than any normal room. 

“Felicity?” The voice was faint but she recognized it instantly. She panned the room with her light and what she saw made her heart stop. Oliver was chained to the wall, bleeding all over. 

“Oliver!” She rushed to his side immediately. Trying not to think about what would’ve happened had they arrived just a little bit later, she looked over his injuries and tried to find a way to free him. 

“I knew you’d come”, he said weakly. “I just wish you hadn’t.” 

That admission got Felicity to stop what she was doing, stand directly in front of him and shine the light in his face which caused him to recoil away from it. “Oliver, there was no way that I was going to leave you to these monsters and you’re crazy if believed I should. None of us would do that. We’re all here for you…because of you.” 

“No, I meant that you shouldn’t have come because it’s a trap.” 

Felicity gave him a small smile. “Yea, well you’re a little late with the warning. They already ambushed us.” A deep, disembodied laugh broke out. Before she could turn to find where it was coming from, she was impaled with something that went through her back and out of her abdomen. 

“NO,” Oliver yelled. 

Looking down, she could see that it was the blade of a sword and that the end of it had stabbed Oliver as well. The lights to the room flickered on and there was no one in there but them. Eric appeared suddenly next to them. “No, my dear. He meant that you shouldn’t have come to this room. You walked right into my trap. I have to admit, it was touching seeing you two together. And even though this will be the last that you two see of each other in this life, at least you’ll have one final embrace before shuffling off of this mortal coil.” Eric walks behind Felicity and gently pushes on the handle of his sword, driving Felicity closer to Oliver which meant that the sword was plunging deeper into him. Eric pushed until there was no space left between them. 

Opening his tear filled eyes, Oliver looked deeply into Felicity’s. “I’m…sorry.” 

“AAAHHH! OLIVER, NOOO”, Felicity yells as she darts into an upright position while simultaneously feeling her abdomen and reaching for Oliver. She quickly realized that she had just awoken from a dream…a very bad dream and now everybody on the plane was staring at her. 

Shado was the first to come and check on her. Shado had insisted on joining them when Felicity called to tell her of the lost connection to Oliver and the discovery of his location. She met them in Central City when they picked up Cisco and Barry. Now they, along with Lyla and Digg, were on their way to meet up with Talia, Nyssa, and Rex in Denmark. The empty plane would continue its journey to Cairo while they all flew in Talia’s plane to the North Pacific. 

Shado handed Felicity a bottle of water to drink. “What happened?” 

“I dunno. It was a dream; a nightmare really, but I don’t even remember falling asleep and it seemed so real.” She took a big gulp from her water bottle, causing her to choke a little. 

“I gave you something to help you sleep after John told me you hadn’t been. What do you remember about your dream?” 

“Well that explains why I don’t remember falling asleep”, Felicity mumbled. “As far as I can remember, we got ambushed by a lot of mercenaries when we got there. I got separated and found him underground, but that was a trap too. Eric killed both Oliver and I and that’s when I woke up.” 

Shado took a moment before she responded. “Sometimes, dreams are just dreams. But then there are times that dreams serve as warnings from a higher power. I believe this is the latter. We need to be extra vigilant; this may turn out to be much more difficult than even we anticipate.” 

Lyla soon joined them. “Everything ok over here, ladies?” 

“Yea”, Felicity responded. “I was just telling Shado about my dream.” 

“Felicity’s dream seems to be some sort of warning that we need to double our efforts. This odyssey will prove even more difficult than we imagine.” 

The look of concern flashed on Lyla’s face. “We’re already undermanned for an operation like this and severely lacking in actionable intelligence. If what you say is true, then this is the ultimate suicide mission.” 

“We won’t be going in totally blind. That’s why we brought the drones. We’ll run recon that way; it won’t be as thorough, as we’ll definitely miss some things that are hidden by the canopy but we’ll get a good enough idea of what’s down there.” 

“You really disappoint me ‘Khaleesi’. Shouldn’t you know the capabilities of your dragons better?” Cisco had joined them on their side of the cabin, leaving Barry who was sound asleep. “These bad boys are equipped with the latest in surveillance tech and, like the Predator, can see in a variety of spectra; from infrared to ultraviolet, we’ll be able to see everything. Nothing on that island will be a surprise.” 

\--------------------------------------------------------

Nyssa had given her pilot instructions to fly to Sydney, Australia as they were preparing to leave on Talia’s plane. She knew that with Talia bringing 8 of her finest warriors, plus her and whatever Rex was capable of, that they should be able to handle just about any situation. The current situation, Rex trying to hit on Talia, she finds very amusing. “Rex, can I talk to you for a moment”, she says as she pulls Rex away from the others. 

“What’s going on? Has there been a change in the mission?” 

“No, nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you about the way you’ve been drooling over my sister”, Nyssa said while smirking. 

“Oh come on! I’ve done no such thing! I mean, I may have occasionally glanced in her direction but drooling? Hardly; has she said anything to you about me?” 

It would be very easy for Nyssa to toy with Rex’s emotions but she thought better of it. Everyone needed to stay focused on the task at hand. “No, she hasn’t. But even if she did, we need to stay focused so no more longing looks.” 

“I’m 100% focused on our objective, no need to worry about that. It’s just, I thought you were exaggerating about her.” 

“And that’s her after having a child. Imagine what she was like before.” 

Rex’s eyes went wide. “A child? She has a child?” Nyssa nods in affirmation. “Actually, I’m good”, he says while putting up his hands in defense. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Tommy comes back into the room, this time he’s alone. “So, Ollie, have you and Minnie been getting along?” 

“I thought you said his name was Mickey.” 

“Mickey…Minnie…doesn’t really matter. What matters is what you witnessed.” Tommy slowly starts pacing back and forth. “I told you there were things in this world you don’t understand. Mickey has the waters of the Lazarus Pit to thank for his resurrection. But it’s not all of him. The pit can’t bring you completely back from the dead for some reason. There always seems to be a piece missing and the longer you’re dead, the more that’s missing. It can even cause insanity…based on the texts I’ve read.” 

“Is this what you’re saying happened to you?” Oliver’s tone is laced with skepticism. 

“I leave that up to you. As for the waters from the pit, I have plans for that. Can’t tell you what that is yet, buddy. But I promise that when I do, it will be in grand Merlin fashion!” Tommy starts to head to the door before stopping. “Oh, and your friends are coming. They think that I don’t know but I do. Your girl; she’s tenacious! I wouldn’t cross her if I was you. They mean to surprise us but boy do I have a surprise for them! It should be fun; one big reunion!” Tommy bursts into laughter as he leaves the room. 

Oliver is left to ponder what surprise he has in store for them. And how exactly he knows that they’re coming right now. “I’ve got to get out of here. Our lives depend on it.”


	20. Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not a new chapter, just an update on the reason for the delay.

At the moment, I am going through some marriage difficulties. I am still committed to this story and plan on finishing it once those difficulties are resolved, one way or the other. I appreciate your patience. <3


End file.
